Traveling to India on your own. What you need to know before traveling to India on your own. Key Travel Locations

Hello friends!

It's winter outside, right now it's snowing in flakes. The first wintering in -10 for the last 3.5 years. A little unusual, but there is an opportunity to gather yourself together and do things that there was not enough time for on the roads. With this article, I decided to unpack my Indian experience a bit and talk about what is needed in order for an independent trip to India to pass without shock therapy.

writing about India with such pictures is the very thing

I have a total of more than a year behind me, spent within this wonderful country. Here is a small one. Read, there are a lot of cross-references to interesting materials :)

India is a country of victorious chaos. Written and unwritten rules here work in completely different planes, and more often they do not work at all. Everything here is ruled by the Gods and the omnipresent Mad Heart. There is much in common with the Russian mentality. The same faith in one's own exclusivity, ingenuity and the ubiquitous maybe.

Chaos and dirt are the main features of any Indian corner. But it's so cozy

Here it is very easy to "erase your personal history" and become "Nobody" (with a capital letter and in the full sense of the word). Get lost, dissolve and be reborn. Among the ancient filthy streets, cows and crazy ascetics with eyes red from hashish.

As my good friend once said: people go to India and Nepal to treat souls.

How to start preparing for the trip?

With the acceptance of the fact that most likely, all your planning will go to hell. In India, the very concept of time is very vague. And if the planes fly according to a completely familiar schedule, then the trains can be late for a day (I'm not exaggerating !!!).

A delay of 4-5 hours on Indian railways is considered normal. Therefore, always have a margin of time.

In a typical Indian slipper

Travel planning

Despite the quite expected destruction of all the plans built, it is necessary to prepare for the trip. You should start at least with tickets and visas). And let the reviews about traveling in this wonderful country say otherwise)

Visa

It is possible to apply for long-term tourist visas for India, up to 5 years (formally, the law has been adopted, but I have not yet seen real precedents). Most often it is possible to obtain a visa for 3 or 6 months. If you ask hard, they can give you a double. The cost is about $100.

The main thing - in the occupation column (type of activity), do not indicate "photographer" or "journalist". They don’t like them there :) For there is nothing to trample on the holy land with your vision with a bunch of dirt, shit and crippled beggars.

In addition, Russians, Ukrainians and Kazakhstanis can now receive an electronic visa, lasting 1 year with a period of non-stop stay in the country = 90 days. The cost is from 80 to 100 bucks.

It is forbidden to work on a tourist visa, so if you suddenly want to get a job, this can be fraught with problems.

Tickets

I recommend buying tickets, especially for trains and buses, in advance. 1-1.5 months before the trip. And if at the very least you can get tickets for buses even at the last moment, then for trains it often happens that there are no tickets.

I have good friends who are involved in developing routes and buying tickets for Indian trains and buses. I recommend. Their experience is more than 10 years of traveling around India and their approach to business is very professional. They will select tickets, connections and the best route.

Housing

Despite the huge number of accommodations in popular booking systems, you can get burned badly. In India, the concept of "quality of service" is very lame. Even in 3* hotels you may encounter dirty sheets and pubic hair in the pillows. Therefore, it is better to search on the spot, or to agree on some already verified other places.

cobra caster

first aid kit

The stomach and immunity of a Russian person is poorly adapted to the conditions of a tropical climate. In India, the phrase "Don't let yourself get sick" should sound like a mantra.

Therefore, the must-have items on your trip should be:

1. Activated carbon
2. Ointment for insect bites (I recommend "Rescuer". It helps very well to relieve itching after any infamy)
3. Pancreatin. Spicy food can hit the pancreas hard. And she, according to doctors, practically does not recover.
4. Furozolidone. A wonderful and cheap remedy for all kinds of intestinal infections.
5. Sun cream.

It is useless to take any sprays and ointments from mosquitoes from home. They have absolutely no effect on the Indian fauna. In India, there are many grocers where you can easily buy such things.

It would be nice to have travel insurance. Only, as elsewhere in Asia, it does not cover possible injuries from riding scooters and motorcycles. Be vigilant and careful.

It happens that they ask about vaccinations before the trip. I have never done them, but if you are very afraid of malaria or dengue fever, it is better to play it safe. There are a lot of mosquitoes here. I once had a case of a mosquito bite, after which I had a fever for a long time.

Money

If you plan to travel with cash, take dollars or euros. Exchange for rupees can be found in almost any tourist place: from to Kanyakumari.

There are many "ascetic merchants" here

I prefer to travel wild with bank cards. ATMs can be found even in remote villages, where such technical innovations against the backdrop of hand mills seem completely surreal.

It is best to withdraw money from SBI (State Bank of India) and Canara bank ATMs. They don't charge cash out fees.

Traditions you need to know to be safe

The whole of India is conservative and traditional. Therefore, in order not to suddenly find yourself in an uncomfortable (and even dangerous) position, you need to be vigilant and know some traditions.

For women

I will single out this point especially, because spermotoxicosis in men in a society with repressed sexuality reaches very dangerous forms.

1. Be modest with local men. Polite, but without ingratiating smiles. Otherwise, it may be taken as an availability signal.
2. Close your charms. Tight clothes and flashy makeup also send a “signal”.
3. It is better to respond to attempts to shake your hand with a “nameste” bow with arms folded at the chest.
4. Large gatherings of people are best avoided.
5. A selfie with an Indian ladies' man often results in your photo being posted on Facebook with the caption "me and my girlfriend." This happens with enviable constancy, regardless of the state. Even more often, 1 selfie turns into a whole selfie session with everyone.

Of course, you should not fall into paranoia, but being on the alert is useful.

More calm in this regard are the Buddhist regions of India: Sikkim.

For everyone else

In India, aggression is perceived as something very out of the ordinary. That is why our not the most prosperous compatriots love to flaunt their "Indian victories" so much. Hindus simply fall into a stupor, which can sometimes lead to very deplorable situations.

Don't let yourself be fooled

India is the land of the victorious heart. Here, since ancient times, they have learned to sweeten the outstretched ears of novice simpletons with eloquence. (here they are called “fresh chicken”: literally “fresh chicken”). Therefore, attempts to deceive here will be constantly. The good news is that 99% of such attempts are childishly naive and harmless.

It is better to relax immediately and even if a deception is discovered, maintain a cheerful mood. Consider that this is a game whose price is 50-100 rubles. Agree, not a high fee for a new interesting experience).

Hindus, when you catch them cheating, most often break into a smile, shake their heads and say “okay”. They say, "it didn't work, okay." You can't even take offense at them.

Indian Divorce in Varanasi

However, vigilance must not be lost! Persistence is possible and even necessary. Only, without aggression. The latter is completely out of favor here. She is offensive and destructive.

The most common divorces are as follows:

1. Taxi in Delhi. "Are you in India for the first time?" If you answer in the affirmative, there will be a performance: “oh, your hotel burned down. But I know one very, very good place.” In general, they will bring you to a place where a taxi driver will rely on a small magarych. The price will be called 2-3 times higher than the market price.
2. "The roads are blocked and there are no places." Another old as the world razvodka, found mainly in Delhi. Usually the same taxi drivers to whom you inform that you are going somewhere to the north answer this way, like.
3. Ear cleaners. Divorce is older than the Mahabharata. Sometimes these comrades can, as if by chance, "absolutely free" pull a horse and half a chicken eaten in the morning out of your ear. When I saw the cleaner working in the ear of a cute white girl, I realized that this divorce would live on for a very long time.
4. Pressure for pity. “I have 5 children, and today I know the business ... please, give me tips.” In general, a classic story of service personnel: from rickshaw drivers to waiters in a cafe.
5. Well, and another +100 all sorts of small divorces.

Determining a divorce is quite simple: if someone offers you their services “just like that”, most likely it is not free. This is very common in tourist places such as Goa. On the road and in the villages, I have not seen this. On the contrary, only a sincere desire to help, which I was repeatedly convinced of during our and after, on the way

Another article from our friend Denis Bashmakov. Denis made an independent travel to india. On his blog, he talks about traveling india on your own and what you need to know those who are just going to go to study this country. At the end of the article there will be a link to his blog, I advise you to subscribe.

For a long time I'm going to write about my half-year-old travel in india Yes, I can't find the time. And now the moment has come. There is nowhere to go further.

I'll start with the next one. India is definitely a country worth visiting for everyone. It's not guaranteed that everyone will like it. And all because people are different and everyone has their own personal experience behind them, their own vision and worldview. But, of course, everyone will find something of their own in India.

These six months flew by unnoticed and I really enjoyed my stay in this beautiful country. True, as in everything and everywhere, in the end I got a little fed up - I felt that I needed to change the situation. And that's okay.

I started with a landing in Delhi, where I ended up spending about 2-3 weeks in total, and then the roads led me there, but I tried to go around it. Honestly. The city didn't really impress me. Very noisy, a lot of people, traffic jams, dust, dirt, stinks, etc. Yes, there are also cleaner, more modern areas, but in general the picture is similar to that described above.
In addition to everything, there are many sights and historical places that you can visit.

Agra. The city where everyone advised me to go and see one of the seven wonders of the world - Tajmahal in my independent travel in India. But I didn't go. Why? I didn’t feel that I should go there, and besides, I just had to pay 750 rupees for the entrance - I didn’t see the point at all. According to many, besides this miracle, there is nothing else to see there, and the surroundings look far from attractive.

Traveling India on your own: what you need to know

Yes. It is worth noting about tickets to these tourist places. As a rule, the price for local and foreigners differs by 10-20 times. These hit me hard every time. So in many cases, I only took pictures from the outside or found ways to get in for free, which was much less successful. Price examples. For locals - 10 rupees, for foreigners 200-300. And this is almost everywhere. Yes, there are places where you can go at the same prices as local ones. For example, I went to the zoo in Trivandrum for 20 rupees and gave 4 rupees for a luggage room. There are places like that too. Since my travel budget, I still tried not to spend money on expensive tickets.

Travel to India on your own: cities

Most in travel in india I liked the following cities:
- CHANDIGARH - because it is quite clean and well-groomed. The whole city is divided into sectors and it is easy to understand the map. There are parks in every sector. In general, a convenient city for education, work, life and raising children.

Udaipur is a city of lakes. A nice place. Tourist town. There is no public transport here - it was launched, but it turned out to be unprofitable. Therefore, in the city you can see only tuk-tuks. And I initially tried to understand why. Only then did one of the locals voice the answer to the question that tormented me.

- MUMBAI (Bombay) - the city of opportunities, the capital of Bollywood. Here you can find absolutely everything. Whether it's one of the world's largest slums, or some of the most expensive real estate in the world, as well as the richest owners. It is very big. Conveniently, the railway network covers the entire city with suburbs and it is quite easy and convenient to get from one place to another, bypassing traffic jams. And yes, the prices are very low. For 10 rupees you can go about an hour. Tickets are not specifically checked. Therefore, you can play rabbits.

— VIKSHAPATNAM. A city in eastern India, Andhra Pradesh. Very clean, comfortable and modern city. Wide streets, excellent roads and traffic. In general, everything for life. According to my friend who invited me there, 20 years ago the city looked the same as many Indian cities that I imagined to see. But recently, residents and the administration have been so actively fighting for improvement - the results are obvious. One can only add that nothing is possible - there would be a desire and active participation.

India travel alone: ​​places

— The Sai Baba Ashram is a wonderful place where you can have a pleasant and cheap time. I already wrote about him earlier. Short. This is a mini-town with everything you need on the territory of the complex. You can live from 20-50 rupees per day and an unlimited amount of time.

- Munnar - tea plantations - cozy and quiet places, fresh air and just a pleasure to be there. True, I mean the plantation areas themselves, and not the town, which has already become very touristy and the prices there are already very high. You can spend the night in Munnar only starting from 500 rupees and above.

— Gokkarna. Bigger and nice beach. A very calm and cozy place to relax with your family or even alone, if you ignore everything.

So far, the list of places and cities is as follows.

The whole of India, all the cities, by the end began to appear to me as one big market. Wherever you go, there is a market. Absolutely everywhere. It doesn't matter how modern the city is.

India independent travel: transport

Traveling India on your own: what else you need to know. India has a great variety of different vehicles - from bicycles to large trucks. Nobody follows the rules. The roads are always noisy due to the constant signals of all drivers. Thus, they warn like this. Like, "I'm coming for you, don't make sudden movements." The cars are almost all scratched and beaten, many buses are old. It was even helped to start one from the pusher and then left on it. But despite the movement and non-compliance with the rules, everything is cut quite normally. It is worth noting that probably Indian bus drivers are among the most skillful.

Sometimes you follow - you can’t get through, but no. Pass and without scratches and contact with each other. The roads are mostly very narrow. Public transport is cheap, which makes it not bad to save money.

Trains and railways are a separate world. The prices are also democratic. To visit India and not ride in a General class carriage means to miss a lot. You can practically live at the stations. There are all conditions. In the waiting rooms you can find sockets and a shower and a toilet. There are also taps on the platforms where you can get drinking water, in some cases you can find a cooler with cold water. True, the guys who are too obsessed with hygiene will say that for no reason in the world will they drink such water, only in a bottle. Well, it's up to you.

People

That's something, but most of all I cling to people. No matter what state you find yourself in, everywhere I met wonderful, kind and interesting people. Yes. They differ depending on the regions. But everywhere they are ready to help you, treat you, and sometimes invite you to visit.

I don't know why, the Sikhs, the people living in the state of Punjab, left some of the best memories. I met with them several times in other regions. They are just as open. I won’t write much more about people, there are more emotions and feelings inside, which are difficult for me to express in words.

Yes, it is worth saying that the Indians struck me with the fact that it does not matter what position they are in, whether they have money or not, etc. - they are always smiling and it is felt that they are happy with what they have. It is definitely worth it for us to succeed. Even a disabled person without arms or legs will always meet you with a smile and a satisfied face, despite his condition and difficult conditions.

In many ways, I found similarities between India and Russia. Salaries (at the time of my stay there) were about the same. Vegetables and fruits grown in the fields are also largely the same, with the exception of more southern crops and varieties. Roads too.

food in india

Mostly sharp. But you can find not so much. Lots of rice. The food is different in the south and north. Also from state to state. But everywhere you can find something for yourself, which you can’t refuse later. And sweets are usually very sweet. Lots of different fruits to enjoy while in India.

India is the center of meditation and yoga. No wonder people come from all over the world. I must say right away that I have not been to Rishikesh. That's where everyone goes. It so happened that for the first time in my life it was in India that I tried yoga and went through meditation. Great stuff to take advantage of.

Perhaps you wanted to hear a different kind of result, but it turned out just like that. I can only say the following, I will definitely return to India again. She really hooked me (even while in Thailand - now I'm lying in a tent at a huge gas station on the way to Phuket - I constantly remember India and already miss those times).

It's just a matter of time when I get there.

My dear friend, if YOU have not yet been to this amazing country - India, be sure to do so in order to be there. And, yes, it's better not as a tourist, but as a traveler to see the real India. Travel friends and expand your horizons!

It was Denis Bashmakov's story about Author: Denis Bashmakov, blog

India is an amazing and mysterious country that you need to visit at least once in your life. The trip will certainly be interesting and filled with positive impressions, but you need to prepare for it in advance.

India has its own traditions, laws and culture, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with them before arriving in the country so that the trip is not overshadowed by force majeure situations.

What sights are worth seeing

There are more than enough interesting places in India, so many come here more than once to see as many sights as possible. But there are several tourist sites that are considered a "mandatory program" for visitors to the country.

Taj Mahal

The height of this mausoleum, built of white marble in Agra, is 74 meters. The construction of the building lasted 20 years, more than 20 thousand workers were involved in the work.

The Taj Mahal delights with its impeccability, harmony and grandeur. From all sides, the mausoleum is decorated with smooth marble - it is snow-white, in the rays of the sun it creates a glowing effect. On the walls you can see not only the Arabic script, which quotes the surahs from the Koran, but also precious stones, elegant carvings. Openwork lattices on the windows of the mausoleum deserve special attention - they seem to be woven from the finest threads and make the whole structure “weightless”.

Rules for visiting the mausoleum:

• on its territory you can not bring anything other than a camera;
• shoes must be removed before entering the building;
• The interior of the Taj Mahal cannot be photographed.

The majestic building, consisting of several altars, dedicated to Krishna and his wife, is located in Delhi. The Lakshmi Narayana Temple is a unique architectural ensemble - in the center is the main altar where they prayed to Krishna, and along the walls there are prayer halls where they turn to other gods (and there are an incredible number of them in Hinduism).

The temple is surrounded by a beautiful park, which has fountains, meditation caves (artificially created), and a hotel for pilgrims. There is also a large library with a reading room.

A visit to this attraction is free, but at the entrance tourists are met by locals who offer to conduct a tour for a small fee and show all the most curious. According to experienced tourists, this is a useless activity and a waste of money, because you can see much more by walking around the temple and the park on your own.

red fort

The fort is located in Agra, it is a fortress, which during the time of the Great Mongols was the residence of the ruling family. The building is made of red brick - hence the name of the attraction. The Red Fort is a cultural heritage of India, this site is listed by UNESCO.

This building has several ceremonial halls decorated with marble and carvings. Ancient emperors received their subjects in them, and “secular parties” were also held here.

The cost of the entrance ticket is 150 rupees (100 - 125 rubles). The tourist site receives visitors all days of the week, except Monday, opening hours - 9-30 - 16-30.

Gardens of Lodi

Delhi has a city park, considered the most beautiful place in the capital of India. It has many alleys, lawns and flower beds. There are also attractions of the Lodi Gardens:

• Bonsai Park - miniature plants are collected here;
• butterfly reserve - it is completely covered with a thin net, more than 50 thousand flowering plants are planted on the territory;
• ancient tombs - they were built of stones, turquoise slabs are fixed on top, the surface of which is covered with calligraphic inscriptions.

You can walk around the Lodi Gardens park all day - and this time is not enough to explore all its corners. Entrance to the facility is free, and you can often see locals meditating or doing yoga here.

Temple of the Sun

It is considered the highest achievement of Indian architecture; the temple was built in the 13th century, when its steps were washed by sea waves. Now the sea has retreated from the Temple of the Sun for 3 km, the building is partially destroyed, but remains majestic and interesting for tourists to visit.

The attraction is located in Konarak, here in early December a dance festival is held. The Archaeological Museum is also located in this city of India - it contains sculptures of ancient times. Of particular interest is a 6-meter stone slab, which depicts the gods of 9 planets.

Entrance to the Temple of the Sun is free, all rooms are open for tourists. Nearby is the Chandrabhaga pond, which is considered sacred. According to legend, it was his waters that cured people of leprosy.

Virupaksha temple

In the southern part of Goa, there are not only the famous beaches of free and cheerful people, but also historical sights. One of the most notable is the Virupaksha Temple - an architectural structure that consists of 9 levels. They are sanctuaries, small temples for prayers to the gods. On the walls of the temple you can see images of mythical animals, artistic images of Shiva.

An elephant lives here, which blesses every visitor - you need to approach him and wait until his trunk touches his head. For this, it is customary to give the elephant small coins. On the territory of the Virupaksha temple, monkeys live freely, accustomed to people and do not interfere with their sightseeing.

You can get into the temple only upon presentation of a passport - there is a policeman at the entrance who registers each foreigner as a guest. The entrance costs 2 rupees, you can bring fruits with you - they are treated to scurrying monkeys everywhere.

This is only a "drop in the ocean" in relation to the sights of India! In fact, near each described tourist site there are several more worthy of the attention of guests of the country.

How to buy cheap tours to travel in India

You can go to India at any time of the year, because in many regions of this country there is a constant summer. But experienced travelers recommend buying tours from October to March - there is no suffocating heat, no heavy rains. However, for trips to the mountainous part of India, you can go in the generally accepted summer months.

To purchase a tour, you can contact travel agents who will give full information about prices and the features of such trips.

Expert opinion

Evgeny Danilov

Travel expert for budget travel

Usually such tours combine several interesting cities of the country at once - in 7-10 days you will be able to see the maximum possible unique places.

The cost of deluxe tours to India starts from 20,000 rubles per person. The more cities you plan to visit, the more expensive the cost of travel will be.

Where to relax cheaply if you fly on your own

Visiting India on your own can be comfortable and cheap. It is important to follow some recommendations of experienced travelers:

• Air tickets in India can be purchased in two versions - with and without transfers. In the first case, the total fare will be cheaper, but direct flights will be able to get to the country much faster. The average price for a flight will be 25,000 rubles round trip.
• You need to book a hotel room in advance, and it is better to do it online. It is worth paying attention to 5-star hotels, but sometimes the lower level of hotels is great for temporary accommodation.
• If you decide to look for a hotel upon arrival at the place of rest, then you need to do this near the arrival station, moving in a "spiral". The farther from this place the hotel is located, the cheaper the room will cost in it. By the way, you can bargain with the administration and reduce the price of the room, and if you loudly resent and demand better conditions during its inspection, then 2-3 more options will probably be offered.
• To visit India, you need a visa, it is issued in 4 days and costs about 3,000 rubles. You can get it at the embassy of the country, in special agencies, and submit documents online.
• Visiting the sights of the country is most often free, but even the indicated cost for an entrance ticket will not hit your wallet. The inconvenience is that you have to move around the country, and this can be done using a bus or a rented car. The second option is preferable - it will be possible to see interesting places during trips, and self-distribution of time is much more convenient.

In India, you can relax for 50,000 rubles and half a million, it all depends on the purpose for which the trip was organized. The average cost of a holiday in this country for 2 people will be about 250,000 rubles, but you can organize a trip even cheaper.

Watch the video about the trip to India:

Food in India

Many people believe that all dishes in India are very spicy. This is not the full truth about the cuisine of the country, so it is worth remembering the following:

The same dish is prepared differently in different states of India, so it is worth trying different options. The only thing that all tourists say is that Indians cook really tasty. Food poisoning is rare - food is processed at very high temperatures, so bacteria and viruses simply do not survive.

Watch the video about the features of Indian cuisine:

What you need to know about holidays in India

Those who go on their first trip, you need to remember the following nuances:

India is such an interesting country that both couples and tourists with children will be comfortable here. If you follow certain rules and listen to the recommendations of already experienced travelers, then the trip will be cheap, comfortable and full of pleasant impressions.

How to start developing an itinerary for independent travel in India
The good news is that you will have an unforgettable trip full of vivid impressions and, possibly, adventures. If you are fed up with travel and think that “all European cities are the same” or “all the beaches in Southeast Asia are the same”, India is the place to be. You will see a completely different country, generally unlike those countries where you have been before. Different colors, different people, different food.
I noticed an amazing feature that is characteristic only of India: this country either accepts the traveler or rejects it. In the first case, a person literally dissolves in it, in the second, everything is bad: either solid garbage underfoot, or food is carried for a long time, or beggars around. The only way out is to try to perceive everything that happens as signs, the universe obviously wants to say something. India is one of the main places of power on Earth.

Advice: For travel in central India, we recommend hiring a decent English-speaking driver-guide. Standard for the Golden Triangle 4-5 days (or 1-2 weeks for difficult routes) are quite inexpensive. Leave a request and, after confirmation, send your route for audit to your driver-guide. According to our statistics, more than half of the routes are redrawn.

When is the best time to go to India

The climate of India is in a remarkable antiphase with the Russian one. As soon as the "gray autumn" begins in central India, it's not so hot, and the season starts in the seaside resorts - Goa and Kerala. And vice versa, the monsoons come in May, incredible heat in Delhi, and wonderful spring and May holidays in Russia. The only feature: if your trip falls on January, in Agra (where the Taj Mahal) will be a comfortable temperature during the day, 18-20 degrees, but at night the thermometer drops to almost zero, and there is no heating in most hotels. There are only two options: take thermal underwear with you (no matter how crazy it sounds), or settle in high-class hotels.

Journey to India: Exotic + Sea

99% percent of our readers combine tours of the Golden Triangle, Rajasthan or trips to the Ganges with a seaside holiday. Starting point is Delhi. Usually, a sightseeing trip is made first, then a flight to Goa or Kerala, and then back home via Delhi.

Find flights to Delhi

Domestic flights are quite short, they are made by low-cost airlines, so if you take a ticket as far in advance as possible, the price will be low. The main cost is tickets to Delhi. Here are the price stats:

Before starting the trip, we make one or two nights in Delhi, this is quite enough. There is one piece of wisdom when choosing a hotel in Delhi. Even if you are traveling on a modest budget, in no case save on a hotel in Delhi, you will understand why on the spot. After all, it's only one night.
Really good options are mentioned in ours, you can book using the links in it, or choose a hotel on the map. Do you see a circle on the left and rays depart from it? Ideally, you go there, and the farther from there, the more extreme.

Delhi hotels on the map

So, the tickets are bought, the night in Delhi is booked. If you decide to hire a driver for a trip, as soon as the booking is confirmed, he will help you plan your trip correctly. As soon as the excursion route is ready, you can buy domestic tickets.

Find flights to Kerala

So, everything is ready. We are starting to prepare for the trip. India travel ideas, ready-made itineraries, travel guides, an overview of Goa beaches and the best hotels in Kerala - all this in articles written by professional SmartTrip journalists and trusted experts

It so happened that in the small, relatively secluded town of Rewalsar in the Himalayas, we arrived quite late, so late that it was hard for small, sleepy and lazy provincial hotels to bother with our settlement. The hosts of the hotels shrugged their shoulders, shook their heads and waving their hands somewhere in the direction of the night slammed the doors in front of our noses. But we were willingly, though not free of charge, accepted to live in a guest house on the territory of a Tibetan Buddhist monastery on the lake.

As is often the case in Tibetan places, our meeting and accommodation was handled by a Hindu, since it is unsuitable for Tibetan monks to deal with money and worldly matters. In addition, the monastery had been immersed in night darkness for more than an hour, and the monks should have had enough sleep, so that tomorrow early in the morning they should go to meditation with a cheerful and pious face. The Hindu who gave us the keys to the hotel room told us about this and other sorrows of the world, and in order to somehow console himself, he strongly recommended that we visit this event at seven in the morning.

The main topics are below: buses and trains, flights and visas, health and hygiene, safety, route selection, hotels, food, necessary budget. The relevance of this text is spring 2017.

Hotels

"Where will I live there?" - this question is for some reason very strong, just terribly annoying for those who have not yet traveled in India. There is no such problem. Hotels there are a dime a dozen. The main thing is to choose. Next, we are talking about inexpensive, budget hotels.

In my experience, there are three main ways to find a hotel.

Spiral

Usually you will arrive in a new city by bus or train. So around them there is almost always a great mass of hotels. Therefore, it is enough to move a little away from the place of arrival and start walking in a circle with an increasing radius to come across a lot of hotels. inscriptions "Hotel" designates a place where you can have a bite to eat in a large area of ​​India, so signboards are the main landmarks "guest house" And Lounge.

In the zones of mass idleness (Goa, the resorts of Kerala, the Himalayas), the private sector is developed, well, as we have on the Black Sea coast. There you can ask about housing from the local population and focus on the signs " Rent". In Buddhist places you can live in monasteries, in Hindu places in ashrams.

The further you move away from the bus station or railway station, the lower the prices, but hotels are becoming rarer and rarer. So you look at several hotels of reasonable price and quality and return to the chosen one.

If you are traveling in a group, then you can send one or two people light in search of a hotel, while the rest are waiting at the station with things.

If the hotel is refused and they say that the hotel is only for Indians, then insisting on settling is practically useless.

Ask a taxi driver

For those who have a lot of luggage or are just too lazy to look. Or you want to settle near the sights, for example, at the Taj Mahal, and not at the station. Even in large cities there are places of traditional congestion of tourists: in Delhi it is Main Bazaar, in Calcutta it is Sader Street, in Bombay it is also called something, but I forgot, that is, in any case, you need to go there.

In this case, find a rickshaw or taxi driver and set the task of where you want to live, in what conditions and for what kind of money. In this case, you can sometimes be taken to the desired hotel for free, even show you several places to choose from. It is clear that the price immediately increases, it is pointless to bargain, since the taxi driver's commission is already included in the price. But sometimes, when you are too lazy or in the middle of the night, it is very convenient to use this method.

Book online

This is for those who like certainty and assurance, more comfort and less adventure.

Well, if you book in advance, then book hotels of better quality and not too cheap (at least $30-40 per room), because otherwise there is no guarantee that in reality everything will be as beautiful as in the photographs. They also complained to me that sometimes they came to a booked hotel, and the rooms, despite the reservation, were already occupied. The owners of the hotel were not embarrassed, they said that a client came with money, and there was not enough willpower to refuse the client with cash. The money was returned, of course, but it's still a shame.

Finding, checking in and staying in cheap Indian hotels can be an adventure in itself, a source of fun and sometimes not so fun memories. But then there will be something to tell at home.

Settlement technology

• Get rid of the presence of "Hindu helpers" and barkers, their presence automatically increases the cost of settling.
• Go to a hotel that seems worthy of you and ask how much it costs and decide whether it is worth living there, at the same time you have time to appreciate the interior and helpfulness.
• Be sure to ask to show the room before checking in, show dissatisfaction and indignation with all your appearance, ask to show another room, most likely it will be better. This can be done several times, achieving better placement conditions.

Those who are interested in the energy of Osho and Buddha, meditation and India, we invite you all to travel to the places where the greatest mystic of the 20th century Osho was born, lived the first years of his life and gained enlightenment! In one trip, we will combine the exotic of India, meditation, absorb the energy of Osho's places!
The tour plan also includes a visit to Varanasi, Bodhgaya and possibly Khajuraho (subject to availability of tickets)

Key Travel Locations

Kuchvada

A small village in central India, where Osho was born and lived for the first seven years, surrounded and cared for by his loving grandparents. There is still a house in Kuchvad, which has remained exactly the same as it was during Osho's lifetime. Also near the house is a pond, on the banks of which Osho liked to sit for hours and watch the endless movement of the reeds in the wind, funny games and the flights of herons over the surface of the water. You can visit Osho's house, spend time on the banks of a pond, stroll through the village, soak up that serene spirit of rural India, which undoubtedly had an initial influence on the formation of Osho.

In Kuchvada there is a fairly large and comfortable ashram under the patronage of sannyasins from Japan, where we will live and meditate.

A small video "emotional impression" from visiting Kuchvada and Osho's house.

Gadarwara

At the age of 7, Osho moved with his grandmother to his parents in the small town of Gadarwara, where he spent his school years. By the way, the school class where Osho studied still exists, and there is even a desk where Osho sat. You can go to this class, sit at a desk, where our beloved master spent so much time in his childhood. Unfortunately, getting into this class is a matter of chance and luck, depending on which teacher conducts classes in the class. But in any case, you can walk along the streets of Gadarwara, visit the primary and secondary school, the house where Osho lived, Osho's beloved river ...

And most importantly, on the outskirts of the city there is a quiet, small and cozy ashram, where there is a place where, at the age of 14, Osho experienced a deep experience of death.

Video from Osho Ashram in Gadarwar

Jabalpur

In Jabalpur we will live in a quiet and comfortable ashram with a magnificent park.

Varanasi

Varanasi is famous for its cremation fires, which burn day and night. But it also has a surprisingly pleasant promenade, the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple, boat rides on the Ganges. Near Varanasi is the small village of Sarnath, famous for the fact that Buddha read his first sermon there, and ordinary deer were the first listeners.

Bodhgaya

The place of Buddha's enlightenment. In the main temple of the city, which is surrounded by a beautiful and extensive park, a tree still grows in the shade of which the Buddha gained enlightenment.

In addition, Bodhgaya has a wide variety of Buddhist temples erected by followers of the Buddha from many countries: China, Japan, Tibet, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma ... Each temple has its own unique architecture, decoration, and ceremonies.

Khajuraho

Khajuraho itself is not directly related to Osho, except that Osho often mentioned the tantric temples of Khajuraho, and his grandmother was directly related to Khajuraho.