Planning a trip to India In April, aside from the scorching heat

>>1169617
Seems like you're spending a lot of time in big cities, so i think it sounds pretty shit.

I found the mountains in the north to be my favorite part, but to each their own. I really think you ought to escape the large cities and see some more rural areas where there is less people and shit everywhere.

>>1169655
>>1169655
I would really like to, however do you think it would be feasible with only 9-10 nights in the country?

>>1169658
Tbh with you OP, that is not enough time to spend in India. I wouldn't go for anything less than a month. You have to understand that things work a lot slower than what you're most likely used to. If you spend time only in the cities, trying to dash around and see everything, you may miss the true essence of India.

>>1169731
I get that, and when I was in college I would routinely take month long trips. However having my own small business now anything over 2 weeks away from work is a push, I just cannot be away from work that long. This being the case I dont think the best solution is simply "well better dodge india since I cant devote a month to it". Surely there is some middle ground.

to be fair this sounds like the worst itinerary possible
unless you were going to mumbai as well

>>1169783
I'd choose one smaller city that suits my interest and just stay there for the whole trip, it takes a bit to find the right spot, right people and adjust, all that travelling and barely seeing new places before leaving sounds like a head-ache.
I spent 2 whole months in rishikesh alone earlier this year and could have stayed longer if I planned things differently.

>>1169880
>worst itinerary possible

That would be Delhi, Jaipur, Agra

>>1169881
>>1169880
>>1169731
>>1169655
So much RealTraveler™ in these post

>>1170182
Meme all you want, but those cities suck major ass

>>1170185
>every major tourist destination/city sucks!

>>1170189
That's not what I'm saying at all. It would be a real shame for OP to go to India to only stay in the big cities.

>b-buh muh memes
Kill yourself faggot. Contribute to the discussion or move on.

>>1169617

Decent enough. I'm in India right now. Lived in Delhi for a year, visited seven times.

The problem that others have pointed out is quite valid - ten days really isn't enough to enjoy your experience. I think a lot of people need a bit of time to adjust to the country before they can start enjoying it. If you haven't been to a similarly developing nation in the past, you might have problems getting used to the hygiene standards, pollution, noise, and crowds.

Otherwise, do enjoy your time in India. I've not visited Varanasi myself, but Kolkata is an amazing place. It's poor, but people there are some of the best I've run across in the entire country. There are relatively few scammers and con artists compared to Delhi and Varanasi. I was there on NYE '15-'16, and all I had to do to have fun was smoke a cigarette on Park Street. Strangers would come up to me and start amazing conversations - unlike in Delhi, they almost always had honest intentions. I met a guy from the Indian Army who took me out for drinks and wouldn't let me pay for shit. Told me a lot about his family, wife and kids, and his views on the India-Pakistan issue.

I'm not going to tell you not to come to India for such a short trip, though. Hopefully you'll like it enough that you'll find the motivation to come back and explore more outside of the big cities. There's a marked difference in lifestyle, pace, and mindset between metropolitan India and the rest of the country, which is primarily rural and agrarian.

Also, if you want to enjoy Delhi and not get ripped off or pissed off by hawkers, beggars, and touts, please book a room somewhere that isn't Paharganj. There are other cheap options. Also, if you're taking a taxi from the airport in Delhi or Kolkata, make sure you book it at the pre-paid counter. Don't listen to anybody who tries to direct you anywhere else - if you get lost, you can ask a police or security officer.

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>>1170182
it would be nice to contribute your own perspective than to just criticise other's views from a smug stance
who are you helping? do you get something out of this? what's your idea of travel? photos of landmarks and a checked off list of short-lived destinations?

>>1169617
prepare for designated shitting streets and garbage. lots and lots of garbage. agra is a craphole so it good you are skipping it.

>>1170464
I'd be surprised if you'd seen anyone pooing in the street in new delhi.
never been to UP or kolkata so can't really speak for those.

>>1170398
I guess maybe its because this board has an abundance of Europeans and college students who have large lengths of time off. OP explicitly stated he has time constraints due to work, yet everyone is saying "LOL YOUR TRIP SUCKS GO TO RURAL AREAS FOR LONGER". I am in the same position as OP, I can only take 5 weekdays off in a row (even though I get 3 weeks off) and I MUST plan my trip around these constraints, having people completely disregard an itinerary because it "isnt long enough to truly experience the country" is bullshit. I am sure OP would love to take a month off from work to explore all of these smaller places, and instead of trying to work within the confines of his work schedule you people just say it isnt enough time.

>>1170521
hm fair enough. but even with considering those restraints I'd recommend getting the hell out of delhi ASAP, finding some nice rural/nature destinations, spending the limited time there and returning with avoiding as much time in the city as possible. Then again, that's just my stance, I found Indian cities to be a painful experience, overloaded with negative stimulation and aggravating sensory assaults. I guess everyone has a different wish though.
Question to OP: Have you been to a large city in an impoverished country? Do you enjoy that experience?

>>1170521
You're a fucking mong, OP asked what people thought and they replied.
>having people completely disregard an itinerary because it "isnt long enough to truly experience the country" is bullshit.

Maybe try visiting India sometime and see what it's like before calling bullshit.
There's a lot of places you can have a great week off at, for most people India isn't one of them. I've never met anyone who went there for a week or 2 and didn't hate it.

Don't know what to tell you OP, except spend less time in Delhi if possible, there's really nothing noteworthy there. Varanasi and Kolkata are great. You should google some common scams before going in.
The Himalayas were easily my favourite part of the country but maybe save that for next time, you could easily spend a week in Dharamsala alone for example.

>>1170527
Yes, I have bee to a few remote cities/towns in Cambodia, thailand, and China and I personally really enjoyed the places, the overwhelming squalor did not bother me at all. HOWEVER I am traveling with a good friend of mine who is "going on this trip to hopefully turn over a new leaf in life". He is 30, working a dead end job, and single and never been out of his home state. He is letting me plan the trip because he says he is just looking for and adventure of any type. So I am somewhat curious as to how he will handle the trip, although he has assure me he will just be happy to be experiencing something new.

>>1170531
Closest thing I have to going out to rural areas is checking out the Sundarbans, although I am sure that will be fairly touristy. I really wanted to visit Leh, however given time constraints it isnt feasible with the time needed to get acclimated to the altitude. Are there any small towns worth visiting between Dehli and Varanasi or Varanasi and Kolkata? I could always cut a few nights off of Dehli and take the train between cities and spend a night or two in a remote town. Other than that my chances of getting to visit rural areas is slim.

>>1170535
>Closest thing I have to going out to rural areas is checking out the Sundarbans, although I am sure that will be fairly touristy. I really wanted to visit Leh, however given time constraints it isnt feasible with the time needed to get acclimated to the altitude. Are there any small towns worth visiting between Dehli and Varanasi or Varanasi and Kolkata? I could always cut a few nights off of Dehli and take the train between cities and spend a night or two in a remote town. Other than that my chances of getting to visit rural areas is slim.

I'm not certain where anyone would get the idea that rural areas are better than cities, but not all cities are the same either.
This guy does a fairly good job covering the places worth visiting in Delhi:
http://www.thedelhiwalla.com/

Unfortunately it's difficult for tourists to get honest / reliable advice here because talking about Indians gets folks jimmies rustled like few other places.

>>1170535
> travelling with a friend like that
You gonna have a bad time anyway, don't plan, just go

>>1169979

>RealTraveler™

>>1170246
I have been to India I agree. I have stayed in Mumbai and in small beach villages of Goa. Couldn't have stand Mumbai for more than one day. As some one who lives in quite european city, I have no idea how Indian's can live there. That Old part of town(Fort, Colaba) was nice, but there's not that much to be done there. The supposedly trendy district like Bandra is still kind of dirty and boring.
On the other hand Goa was great. I wish I could stay there longer.