Incredible India - Info / reviews

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This entry maybe boring for a few however I have so often used this website to research what others have done along there trips its only right to give it back...this is something that I would have loved to have had on here as I went through as its so helpful names and costs of places. Due to this I am going to be totally honest and not hold back!

If you research a trip to India you will no doubt come across Incredible India its basically the tourism sight and controllers in India and around the world about India we went to a show in Brisbane and went home with a lot of information labelled this however I wasn't aware that all sights you go to with higher entrance fee's had formal tickets (some really beautiful tickets) they were stamped with the Incredible India trademark! The pricing here is for international tourists and I may have got some of them slightly wrong as I am working off memory but they will not be more than what I have said! Currently $1au=40.50 RP

We have thoroughly enjoyed this bitter sweet land...well the parts we have seen and we are aware that we have just touched the edges of the place its so large and there is so much more to see in each place than expected (other than Amritsar and Agra)

**Pro's**

Wonderful Historical places that make you inspired, interested and amazed all at once.

Diverse religion and places of religion (sikhs are lovely, Hindu Temples are colourful)

Wonderfully colourful outfits and beautiful ladies and cute kids, interesting Sikhs and Saints

YOu can gain a overall appreciation of your country and what it has to offer.

The BEST food we have eaten since we started this trip...actually ever overseas

Meeting great people that you grow a bond with and swap details

Good train travel in aircon class- just bring some snacks and some change for Chai and Coffffeeee

--Cons--

Poverty, beggars,

Pollution-especially big cities and Agra

Every train station is a toilet, every road side is good for peeing even out in the open!

Toilets are hit and miss there are some bad ones but they are not all bad! If you can use a squat on the train your pretty much safe with a squats!

People trying it on with you...trying to get you to pay more than you should - you expect a bit not 5x the amount though



So we have managed to keep to our budget of $90au a day including travel,accom,food and attractions while we have been here and I have also picked up some clothes in that budget. We have found the 6 P's (Prior, Preparation, Prevents, Piss, Poor, Performance) are highly needed for travel in India as much as people say wing it it will be fine we are fussy backpackers and like some comfort we also believe if you can why not (no use in ending up in a dump for the price of somewhere nice because you didn't use the 6 P's) some off the trip we didn't get what we wanted as we didn't used the 6 P's properly and act fast enough!



Hotels we stayed and what we thought.

Trichy- Ramya's good the first time shite the second time, good location to train station, aircon 1040RP

Chennai- Malles Montaa- location in the commercial district, room small, free wifi, breakfast not so good

Delhi- Hotel Express 66 - just around the corner from New Delhi station and Main Bizarre (good location) Nice, clean and go the extra mile for customers although a little on the expensive side we thought it was a good choice! 2585RP+10% tax breakfast included (even at 4.30am)

Amritsar- Sapphire Hotel - amazing location executive room has amazing view (expensive but sooooo worth it) The staff are not overly helpful here but they are learning and hopefully they will get there! You must request them to clean your room as they wont do so otherwise. We were blessed in that we left our digital camera behind and they emailed us to let us know and organised to get it back to us when we returned to Delhi! (we got a long stay deal) 2040RP in temple view room

Agra
1- Taj homestay - middle of nowhere- clean large rooms - some without windows - staff pushy with tours and overall not a great experience! overpriced for what else is on offer this was where our prep let us down we left booking to late!Second room got smokey at night due to the door straight out to the street - there is nothing they can do about the smoke outside as it is everywhere in Agra at night everyone lights a fire and burns there rubbish no matter what it is! 1100RP as we got a online deal

2-Hotel Sheela- not to be mixed up with sister hotel Sheela Inn (book this place well in advance we got an email saying they were booked out hence the stay at Taj Homestay) although the rooms aren't flash they are clean and have an amazing location 100 meters from the east entrance to the Taj Mahal (prefect for sunrise viewing) The food here is good the location is brilliant and in the no auto area so cleaner air! 800RP aircon and hot water (if you can find the hot water hehe)



Jaipur- Arya Niwas -awesome location, fab hotel, great rooms clean spacious, quietist aircon, flat screen t.v with heaps of english channels, awesome bathroom, good laundry service and overall one of the fav hotels. 1500RP breakfast not included but best choice for breakfast omelette made with egg yolks, brown bread and the only place Mike ate fruit!



Jodhpur
1-Kuchaman Haveli- Very central 10min walk to clock tower centre of town ,dark rooms, pretty restored hevali, Aircon.1550rp

2.Devi Bhawan- Out skirts but away from dust and noise, pretty ground, swimming pool,great little lounge that doesn't get used enough, nice large rooms and bathroom, clean 1500rp best deal in india!! Loved this place foods they like pre-ordering however was good quality and there is other options nearby. Manager goes the extra mile.



The places themselves good eateries etc.


Trichy- first night and last night - must eat at Chree khrishna - very reasonable


Chennai- Did nothing but eat here can't rate Chennai but the food at is great! Tandoor Palace -expensive but soooo good!


Delhi- Madness not sure what to say about Delhi there is some amazing sights but its so busy and crazy!

Humuyan's Tomb - entry 250pp + 25 Camera - amazing place so large but come in the morning when its not so hot.

Red Fort- 250pp + 25 camera in the evening light show 80pp (we didn't think much of the light show I guess we were expecting more but I have talked to people that loved the history that it explained go with no expectation if you choose to go)

India Gate- free (so many people here) Big and well worth a visit night or Day

QBA- bar and restaurant- great food well worth the money - expensive


Amritsar

Golden Temple - my love of the trip this place is amazing so peaceful even with hundreds of people in there everyone sits and meditates and enjoys the amazing sight of the temple - free to get in and you can eat in the food hall for free - stay in the temple for minimal cost (sometimes its hard to get a room we didn't try) The closing ceremony is moving and interesting 9.30pm it starts and it finishes when they have put the holy scripture to bed about 10.15-10.30. Stayed here three days and that was about prefect amount of time for us it was good for the soul to stay this long.

Virsa- great food part of Chocolate Planet which has great Ice Cream - loved the place - reasonably priced

Crystal- good food out of the temple area serves meat- expensive



Agra- stayed here three nights two nights to long arrive during the day get a view at sunset from Shanti Lodge roof top restaurant a good night sleep go to the Taj Mahal for sunrise and the Agra fort after that (as early as possible) the pollution in Agra due to burning everything in the evening is terrible and by 9am the Taj has a haze around it....both of us left Agra with sore throats and bad coughs (even covering our faces with bandana's didn't fix this) Mikes got really bad needed some antibiotics to fix it as he had half a voice for days!

1-Taj Mahal- Sunrise so worth getting up in the morning when its not so hot the sun hits the grand structure and its amazing and inspiring it gets hot during the day and the marble heats up (no shoes so hot marble ,barefoot = burnt feet! 750pp you don't want to have to pay more than once! You can get a view across the lake you can get a tuktuk there and back about 150 or there is some boats that go out on the lake not sure how much but would be faster and better for the health! (sunset over the lake is silly as the sun sets in the opposite direction you would be better going over there for sunset if you stay more than one night!

2-Agra Fort- Massive structure with lovely window framing views of the Taj Mahal in the distance diffentely worth a look if you have time money and it's still clear out there. 300pp

Joaney's- great food - well priced

Shanti Lodge- good food, great view (remember taj has no lights so best for sunset or day time)- reasonable pricing



Jaipur- Three days - need this in Jaipur longer if you want to explore all the sights and shop for fabrics/bangles without dying of heat exhaustion!

1.Wind palace- well worth going to see 100pp and its an amazing structure with a great view from the top!

2.City Palace-we were hot and tired so maybe we didn't enjoy this as much as we could but we got frustrated with people inside wanting money for everything (they say here have a photo - now tip (they suggested the photo I wont pay!) Go to the toilet take my own paper come out man standing there tip (I don't think so buddy toilets were terrible not like they keep them clean!) 300pp came with Audio tour (wouldn't do it again)

3. Observatory (just beside the city palace) this place is crazy cool even for someone who didn't understand half of it the fact that someone had the knowledge that long ago to have made these structures so perfect that they can measure the time within 2mins all the time is unbelievable! 100pp and 100 for audio tour wish we had paid for the audio would have been fab to understand and go at your own pace not a guide who makes you rush through.

4. Amber Fort - Massive place very grand and in a different area totally its worth seeing just for the surroundings and the elephants taking people up there early in the morning. We were warned about not talking to people here as there is some sus people hanging around this place but well worth going and having a look if you have time and money. 300pp

5.Water Palace (Jal Mahal) - very cool place to watch the sunset can't go over as it is sinking but the reflections in the lake are beautiful - cost just to get there

6. Chokhi Dhani- Didn't enjoy this very much we felt there was no direction and its very dark, swarming with sandflies - 350pp (and performers want tips even though they have signs discouraging this!

OM Revolving restaurant - good food , good view -weird service and expensive



Jodhpur- two days - this place is hot, dust and stunning we didn't get to do much as the heat was so intense its basically a desert town so it takes a lot of effort to do things in 36oC heat! (this is the start of summer)

Indique Rooftop Restaurant- foods amazing, sunset would be stunning and pricing is expensive but totally a must do in Jodhpur





Thanks India you have been incredible 😊

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