India, SE Asia

going to India for a 6 mos stay.. after India I'd like to visit places like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia(Lombok) etc. I feel kind of stuck since I know very little practical info.. I go for the more quite places, white sandy beaches etc but when reading in places like The Thorn Tree about earthquaqes and terorrist attacks/threats I start to doubt.. also the coultures..which places are more tourist friendly to travel alone? and in terms of small crime, is it safe enough to carry a camcorder?

if u have been there what would be ur SE Asia dream travelplan ? budget to moderate Reply to this

Mel thanx alot-again-for ur golden tips!

my concerns are the visa issue and expenses...quakes too, I've been in a 6,5 R and it wasn't fun. today I read a warning iabout yesterday's quake close to Lombok.

I come from the EU..and for Thailand I've read u get a 1 month visa on arrival but how does it work if u want for ex.a 3 month visa? it says u can't extend the 1 month issued at the airport.. anyway I'll call the consulate here to find out.
not sure if I should apply here, since I will be in India for 6 moths and then go to Thailand, for the visa to be still valid. I think eventually I'll have to ask at the Thai consulate here.

Thailand is definitely on top of my list, as soon as I get the q's about the visa sorted out I will book.

cheers! Reply to this

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand.

Here is a website with the visa information on it. As far as I know you can get the 30 day visa exemption 3 times. After 30 days you would have to go to another country and then reenter Thailand to get the next 30 days. There are a few rules like that. Double check them all because I dont fully understand them. The Thai authorities changed everything a couple of years ago and it is more complicated than it used to be.
No, dont apply for your visa here in Europe unless you want to pay for it. If you get a 90 day visa from a consulate here you will have to pay for it.

Another option for you would be to go to Thailand first. Travel agents in Bangkok can sell you a flight to India and visa combo for a reasonable price. You would just have to leave your passport with them for around a week.

For sure earth quakes could happen but I have never experienced one in any country. I was even in Iran last year which has lots of them but none happened while I was there. I think going is worth the risk. A quake while you are there would be just bad luck. :D Reply to this

Hi Tony,

I grew up in India, so I can give you a few tips... Mostly terrorist affected areas are in Northern state of Jammu & Kashmir and very eastern states of the country. However, nowadays all the tourist places are very highly secured... Unfortunately, recently there was a bomb blast in a very peaceful city of Jaipur in Rajasthan! But, these things do not happen everyday... just being cautious and street smart will make your trip more than 90% safe and fun! I guess 10% you can leave on luck...

For example, you can take your camcoder/high-end camera everywhere; but make sure you don't leave it unattended! While taking public transportation like bus or train, take care of your belongings and don't eat anything from strangers (this is the advice my dad gave me when I was young ;-) )... When you take a cab or an Auto-Rikshaw (3-wheeler), make sure you make it clear from the beginning that you will pay according to meter only.. most of the airports/train stations have pre-paid taxi service.. this will eliminate any malpractice by the taxi operators.. (btw, even if they ask you way more than what you actually owe, it will be still cheaper than what we pay in USA!!).. If possible, don't roam around alone at nights..

Tourist places like Agra, Goa might be a little expensive.. but if you act smart, you can get good bargains! I had a friend traveling to Agra early this year - the hotel shuttle asked her for Rs. 1400 (~ 22 Euro) for a ride to Taj Mahal, she denied. They asked her for Rs. 1000; she still didn't agree and decided to get it on her own. She walked out, and found a paddle-taxi for Rs. 25 ( ~ 0.4 euro?!).. Although, many times it is advisable to get a ride from some wel-known and trustworthy source (especially at nights); if you are confident in the surrounding, you can save a lot of money!

You are spending good six months in India.. so make sure to make best of it! Avoid street food.. avoid raw food... drink mineral water (again.. bought from stores.. not street kids..).. Even decent to very good restaurants will cost hardly $1-8 for a really good meal! Really pricey ones will cost you no more than $12... ofcourse, it depends on what you do!

You might face initial cultural differences.. as India is a different place.. especially in off-the-track places... but in general, people are friendly.. they will go out of the way to help you sometimes... sometimes they might try to get more money from you ;-).. as for some of them, you look like a walking ATM 😊

Must visits (i.e. my personal favorites):
Golden Triangle of north-western India: Jaipur, Jaisalmer (camel safari), other places in the desert of Rajasthan, Agra, Delhi, Chandigarh.
South India: Kerala backwaters, hill stations in this area, Pondichery, Kanyakumari, etc.
national parks: Gir National Park (only place for asiatic lions), Jim Corbett national park, ...
Beaches of Goa... Reply to this

Hello Swar 😊

I am going to Delhi next December.
Which town would you recommend I take a day trip to on the train or bus to see the Ganges?
Rishikesh or Haridwar were recommended to me. What do you think? What are these places like? I would prefer to go to a place that is not like Agra(meaning full of touts...) if there is such an option to see the Ganges.

Mel Reply to this

Hi Mell

Rishikesh is the best place to see the Ganga (or Ganges as you call it). The river Ganga originate from the hills of Gangotri where the waters are the purest and pristine. From here, they flow on to the plains all over India before finally merging with the oceans.

Since Rishikesh is not too far from Gangotri, the water is still pretty clean and pure. Mind you, i say this from my experience years ago but some of the people i know have been there more recently and they say it's still clean. If you decide to take a dip to cleanse yourself of the sins, beware the water current at Rishikesh is extremely strong and there are upmteen stories of people (some very strong swimmers) being swept away.

One of the other good things about Rishikesh is the spiritual side of things it offers, that is if you are into them. There are plenty of good yoga centres where you can learn and practice yoga under the supervision of some of the best yogis in India. However, best to do your research before you sign up for any of them.

Lastly, Rishikesh is right on the foothills of himalyas. Nainital, a very popular hill station is not too far from it and is well worth a trip to breathe some fresh air and just get away from the hustle and bustle.

Hope this helps.
Reply to this

travellersoul TY for the tips! very true what u say!

..another tip to avoid being ripped-off is don't look flashy! carrying the last technologies the west has to offer and the attitude that western money can buy everything.. will make one look not only as an ATM on shoes but as a provocation as well to pple having nothing... my own experience was that after few weeks of not shaving and wearing Indian clothes.. vendors and locals in general were much friendlier and asking lower prices!! that was incredible!! looks do have an effect!! a low key profile is a gurantee to make friends with the locals... arrogance never wins Reply to this

Mel..there's the Shatabdi Express train to Haridwar, excellent! with airco and on time! check it out!

in Haridwar I stayed at the Government Bungalow across the river, clean and good priced.. but u have many choices of hotels, restaurants etc and great views of the Ganges

I'm going there as well in July so ur up to date- tips will be of great value!
Tony Reply to this

I am going to stay at Hotel Navrang in Paharganj. We are not there yet. We are going next December.
It is incredibly cheap so it will make the travel savings stretch. Just 100RS for a double room. Well maybe a bit more now. My Lonely Planet book is not the latest edition.
I am planning to stay in Delhi and Kurukshetra and then take day trips to places around.
So far the day trips are Haridwar to see the Ganges, Agra to see the Taj Mahal, villages near Kurukshetra just to see what Indian villages are like, Khajuraho to see the erotic statues.

I was planning to take the cheap and cheerful 3rd class train to Haridwar or the bus. No fancy stuff. My boyfriend and daughter are comming too so the budget has to cover 3 of us. Well, except for Christmas and New Years. We are looking for a couple of fancy restaurants for those dates.
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Mel..after 8-10h day in the 3rd class and endless stops u'll need at least a day to recover! bring ur own pillow to survive the wooden seats!. no matter which way u travel in India is always full of the unexpected and of course is fun!..once I was on a night bustrip in the Himalaya when the bus broke down..thankfully I was the only pesron having a flashlight!! so they could repair it and go further.. Reply to this