Tips for Travelling to the Golden Triangle India
A visit to Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, which make up the Golden Triangle of India, can be the most wonderful journey of your life. It can also be a disaster. Here are three tips to help put you on the road to happiness.
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| Golden Triangle Tour |
One, the more you inform yourself before you go, working out what you want and then how to get it, the better. It is culturally a very rich, concentrated area. You may wish to travel to see as many places as possible or keep to the highlights, climb up forts or watch skillful craftsmen, explore back streets or relax Maharaja-style in a palace-hotel, shop for top quality silk and jewels or attend one of the colorful festivals. To taste a little of everything is perfectly possible, but only you know how big a helping of each you want.
Two, have a good spirit of adventure so that the inevitable problem or two is a positive addition rather than an irritation. This is true whether you go solo or take a package tour. The price of freedom is that you do all the bookings, checking-ins and cope with any problems, which then become part of the journey. On a package tour things can go wrong, too. But while someone else sorts it out, you can always find something interesting going on, even if it is watching the mysterious ways of how problems are resolved—nothing is boring in India.
Three, this is the top favourite area for tourists, both foreign and Indian. Almost half of all visitors to India will tour the Golden Triangle. Only you know if you mind jostling with the crowd to see the Taj (or doing some careful timing to enjoy it in peace) and having no flexibility to change hotel or air bookings. If you do, and if the heat does not bother you, it is best to avoid the peak season of October-February.
Extension to the Delhi Jaipur Agra Tour
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| Mathura Vrindavan - Iskcon Temple |
This wonderful itinerary can be combined with the other tourist destinations such as Amritsar , Shimla , Goa and many more , more information can be found on the following links : Golden Triangle with Shimla Tour .Golden Triangle Tour with Mathura Vrindavan
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| Shimla Tour - Himachal Pardesh |
The International Flight
Most major international airlines fly to Delhi. The non-stop flight London-Delhi takes nine hours, increased to more than 12 hours for a one-stop direct flight. From New York it takes another seven hours. Fare structures range enormously, and it is well worth ringing several travel agencies, booking Apex flights well in advance or booking at the last minute to achieve the lowest prices. Package holidays which include flight, hotels, internal transfers and some meals are very worthwhile considering, if you find one that follows roughly your desired route, it will probably cost substantially less than doing the individual booking yourself. And you can always bow out of some (or all) of the group sightseeing. This competitive market does not exist in the US, so Americans do better to take a cheap New York—London flight and then pick up one of the cheap deals for London-Delhi. From the west coast of the US, the best deal is to take two cheap flights: one to Hong Kong, Singapore or Bangkok, then a second to Delhi.
Internal Flights
In the last few years there has been a revolution in internal air travel. Indian Airlines has lost its monopoly and, while it remains the largest internal airline, now has healthy competition from other reliable carriers: Jet Airways, Sahara India, Archana Airways and UP Airways among others. Standards have improved and delays have reduced. While it is now easier to buy a seat at short notice, it is better to book in advance, either in India or with an overseas travel agent. So far, Indian Airlines have retained their monopoly for the Delhi-Agra and Delhi-Jaipur routes but this may not last. And at the time of writing, only Indian Airlines offers various discount deals including Youth Fares and Discover India tickets which can be booked with your international ticket (for a fee) or once in India.
Package Holidays versus Going Solo
As India is quite complicated to travel in until you know the tricks, it is well worth taking a package holiday for your first visit. Not only do you have the advantage of a band of knowledgeable people planning, booking and guiding; you save yourself considerable effort and, usually, lots of money. As with the flight, Americans will find the best variety and costs in the UK. Going solo, you can have a more flexible trip. But be warned: you must cope with any problems, and it is essential to arrive in India with a skeleton of confirmed internal flights and hotel bookings, together with written confirmation of each.
Visas
All foreigners entering India need a valid visa. To obtain a tourist one valid for one, three or six months, contact your nearest embassy, consulate or high commission. On the application form, specify a double, triple or multiple-entry visa if you are intending to leave India to visit Nepal and/or another country and return to India. Return the form with three passport photos and the fee, which varies according to the duration of the visa. Currently all UK citizens pay £3 for a one-month visa, £16 for a two- or three-month one. US citizens buying a visa in the UK pay the same fee plus a £10 clearance charge. All are payable by cash or Postal Order only not personal cheques. Visa collection may be the next day, but postal applications take four weeks.
Immunization
Best considered well in advance of departure. Check that the essential jabs are up to date: typhoid, cholera, polio and tetanus. A gamma globulin injection against hepatitis A is advisable immediately before departure, or consider having the Havrix jabs which protect for 10 years. Rabies is widespread among dogs and monkeys; a rabies vaccination means that if a rabid animal bites you, the body starts to fight the infection immediately, but you must still go directly to the nearest hospital for a jab. Taking malaria pills is essential; current advice (constantly updated and changing) is to take two Nivaquine (or Avloclor) weekly, starting the week before departure, and two Paludrine daily starting the day before departure, continuing both sets for four weeks after your return.
Money
It is forbidden to take Indian rupees into or out of India. The best and safest combination is travellers' cheques (US dollars and pounds sterling are the most widely accepted) to change into rupees for day-to-day spending, and credit cards (Visa, Diners Club, American Express are best) to settle larger bills such as in hotels, restaurants, shops. Most travel agents and hotels prefer payment in foreign currency, but it is no longer a legal requirement. Remember that a credit card will be subject to an upper limit.
Packing
Simply, the less the better. Most essentials are now readily available in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, but here is a short checklist of things worth taking to avoid paying a premium, risking lower quality or being caught without—or simply to improve your comfort.
Documents—keep all papers, passports, tickets, money, booking confirmations etc. in your hand luggage at all times. Film passed through film-safe airport X-ray machines will not be damaged (unless it is high speed film repeatedly X-rayed).
Clothes—Cottons arc better than man-made fibres. Unless Delhi embassy dinners are on your circuit, a jacket and tie for smarter hotel restaurants is enough as Indians prefer informal dress; but air-conditioning can be ice-cold, so women may need a jacket or shawl. Hotel laundries have a fast, usually same-day, service but their dhobis (washermen) are not gentle; the odd button may return broken and favourite garments are best left at home. Essentials include: socks for visiting temples and mosques, to avoid the hot tiles, and slip-on shoes or sandals to go with them; hat for sunny sightseeing; jumper for cool evenings; bathing costume for hotel pools. All three cities have good, cheap European clothes and shoe shops.
Medicines—In addition to the daily malaria pills, take any regular medicines you need. Nothing else is essential, but these may be useful: a tube of antiseptic cream, Elastoplasts, throat lozenges (against the dust), lip salve (against dust and sun), anti-mosquito stick or aerosol, soothing cream for mosquito bites, sun lotion and cosmetics because the range is limited in India, a course of antibiotics against a bad cold or an inflammation, and a supply of needles and syringes in case you go to hospital.
If the dreaded 'Delhi Belly' strikes—usually on the third or fourth day, through exhaustion and lack of acclimatization rather than bad food or drink—the current advice is to drink lots of fluids, especially bottled water mixed with sachets of Rehydrate or Dioralyte on sale at UK chemists. This is a sugar, salt, vitamin and mineral mixture which both rehydrates the body (the most important thing) and keeps the body fluids in balance, preventing dehydration. If you run out, a similar mixture is on sale in India at most local chemists; if you cannot find it, mix 1 flat teaspoon of salt and 4 heaped teaspoons of sugar to 1 litre of boiled/bottled water. This mixture, in sachets or home-made, is entirely safe and can be taken throughout your trip to Maintain good hydration. When you have Delhi Belly, try not to eat for 24 hours. Then eat plain, boiled rice and yoghurt (curd, dahi), which are natural stabilizers Resort to Imodium or Lomotil if problems persist or if you have to travel.
Washing Equipment—Indian toothbrushes, toothpaste and soap are widely available but if you are fussy, take supplies. An invaluable daily travelling kit is a flannel for freshening up, a plastic water bottle and a roll of toilet paper.
Sightseeing Equipment—Take a full supply of film. Fuji, Kodak and other makes are on sale but prices are high, even away from hotel shops. A small pair of binoculars transforms wildlife- and bird-watching, and hones in on intricate architectural carving.
Gadgets—Voltage is 220 and a transformer may be necessary. A Walkman with a supply of batteries solves the problems of bad hotel radios, and less interesting moments on coaches and trains. A travelling iron saves the time and cost of the hotel ironing service. A penknife is useful for peeling fruit and opening bottles, but may be subject to inspection if kept in hand luggage at airports. In fact, security for internal flights often demands that all knives, scissors and cellular batteries (from Walkmans, cameras, etc) be put in hold, not hand, luggage.
Time Zone
India has a single time zone. it is five-and-a-half hours ahead of London (when on GMT), ten-and-a-half hours ahead of New York and thirteen-and-a-half hours ahead of San Francisco.
Customs
On arrival in India, visitors are asked if they have anything to declare, implying money and camera equipment above all. For a single person the currency limit is US$10,000 in cash and traveller's cheques; more must be declared. Video cameras etc must also be declared, as must laptop computers, and maybe entered in your passport. Each time you leave India—even for a weekend in Nepal—it is obligatory to take them out, too, and re-declare them on the next entry.
On leaving India, anything that was declared on entry must be produced for inspection; if this included currency, then exchange receipts should be available. Rupees may not be taken out of India, but remember to have the Rs 300 airport tax ready. Currently, buys in India which may be exported without restrictions include: souvenirs (handicrafts, silk, art, carving, the odd peacock feather, etc), Rs100, 000 worth of gold, jewellery and precious stones. But there are restrictions on antiques (objects more than 100 years old) and on large amounts of gold, jewellery and precious stones; and it are forbidden to export ivory, skins of animals and snakes etc or articles made from them. If in doubt, the local tourist office should have the latest list; for antiques advice, contact the Director, Antiquities, Archaeological Survey of India, Janpath, New Delhi.
On arrival at UK customs, because India has 'developing country' status, no duty is payable on handicrafts, but V.A.T. is payable if the total value is above £136. It is well worth making a list of all goods bought.
General Information for Happy, Hazardless Days
From the moment you first experience that special, exotic Indian smell, everything is different. To help confusion quickly turn into enjoyment, here are some answers to your immediate practical questions.
Inter-city Movement
It saves much time and confusion to make all bookings through a single travel agency, paying a small premium if necessary. Air, train and bus timetables can be tricky to decipher; the booking process, although improving, can be a nightmare; and car hire can be unreliable.
For more information on Golden Triangle tour packages contact one of the leading travel agents in India - Swan Tours , Swan Tours also offers the following packages for both Indian and foreign guests : Same Day Agra Tour by Car , Delhi Sightseeing Tour by Car and Delhi Jaipur and Agra with Fatehpur Sikri Tour
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