Want to visit India possibly in Oct or Nov. I am a budget traveller. Is there a time of year where there are seat sales from the UK or other parts of Europe? I want to buy Indian objects d'art.. any suggestions markets or shops in Bombay? How is train travel from Bombay to Goa? Does anyone know about the bird sancuary near Goa and how to get there? ANYTHING anyone can tell me is appreciated. I am going there blind!

Peter,

I'm going to Mumbai and Goa next month, and I will report back my findings. Although I won't be able to help you with the fare question, based on speculation alone, I would think October is a more likely time for you to find a a lower fare since the Monsoon ends in this time.

Steve

Hi Peter -
You might try posting your question on a message board such as Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree. There is a forum there devoted to the Indian subcontinent, with threads about Goa and Mumbai.

thanks I'll try Thorntree. And Steve please let me know how it goes... if you want you can email me at peterbirdd@yahoo.co.uk
thanks all!

Hi PeterBird,

I just saw your message on the Slowtalk board....

Let me just give you some insights...

October/November is a very good time weather wise to visit India but as far as budget is concerned - it is not soo good. The Main tourist season starts from October and the hotel rates are at their zenith during this time...

However if you plan well than there is always a possibility of booking good budget accommodations / guest houses even family stays....(which are not so expensive relatively)...

Indian Objects of art - are available everywhere - there so many shops all over India which sell these things - but be careful if the produucts are genuine.....Rajasthan(Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur), Bombay, Delhi etc are all good places to splurge....

The Sanctuary near Goa is famous for birds is BONDLA - 30 kms away. It is towards south of Goa and taxis or even local buses are available from various points in Goa (Panaji etc)

IF YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE IN INDIA AND WHERE ALL YOU WANT TO GO - AND ALSO HOW MANY DAYS YOU HAVE AT YOUR DISPOSAL - I SHALL BE HAPPY TO ADVISE YOU AN ITINERARY AND ALSO THE NAMES OF BEST BUDGET PLACES AND MODES OF TRANSPORT.....

You can get in touch with me at - ajay123@mantraonline.com


I am a travel enthusiast and have widely travelled all over India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal - so I Know the region inside out....

Be in touch.....

Ajay

quote:

Originally posted by PeterBird:
Want to visit India possibly in Oct or Nov. I am a budget traveller. Is there a time of year where there are seat sales from the UK or other parts of Europe? I want to buy Indian objects d'art.. any suggestions markets or shops in Bombay? How is train travel from Bombay to Goa? Does anyone know about the bird sancuary near Goa and how to get there? ANYTHING anyone can tell me is appreciated. I am going there blind!

Peter, I returned from my trip to India and will try to answer your questions posted above.

My trip was certainly very "interesting" in the Chinese sense, lots of unexpected twists and turns. Among them, I was in Maharashtra near Mumbai when it experienced the largest one-day rain fall in the history of India, which in turn, made my return trip out of India a real adventure.

For a budget traveler, I think you'd find India a great destination regardless of what time of year you go. Some prices for example, a bottle of coke, about 10 Rs. local bus, 5 Rs. a simple meal in a cafe, 30 Rs. 3 star lodging, under 1000 Rs.

For shopping, I prefer the ubiquitous Kashmiri gift shops. I found them everywhere, in Goa, Mumbai, Pune, and Delhi. The largest one I found was in Pune, a rather famous one in fact, located in the shopping district of Mahatma Ghandi road.

The Konkan railway connects Mumbai and Goa. I met someone who traveled on the train in Goa, and was told that it leaves Mumbai at 5 am. The trip is advertised to take about 8 hours, but in reality, it takes at least 12 hours to reach Margao Goa, weather permitting I was also told that despite the grueling schedule, the scenery along the road is spectacular and made the trip worthwhile.

There are several wild life santuaries in Goa. One of them is in deed called the "Bird Santuary", which is located on the tip of Mandovi River, near the old town of Panaji in central Goa. If you are going to this place, I would take a bus from wherever you're staying in Goa to Panaji, then hop a rickshaw to get there.

I loved Goa. It was clean, safe, prosperous and beautiful. Full of friendly people. I stayed in South Goa, away from the hustle and bustle of the package tourists in the North. The place I stayed at is in the fishing village of Benaulim, 9 km away from Margao, Goa's commercial center. Benaulim has an incredible beach, and the village itself is dotted with rice fields and pretty Portugese style houses. The city of Margao is connected via rail to Mumbai. There's a few hotels in Margao, like this one: http://www.indiabudgethotels.com/hoteldetails.asp?propertyid=186&partnerid=5. If you go to South Goa, I'd recommend getting to Margao first, staying there for one night while you look for a suitable place near the beaches.

Let me know if you have any questions. Happy planning.

Steve

I have some questions for our experienced Indian travelers. I am planning to go in Jan-Feb when winter gets me down here.
I asked this of my onsite (Mumbai) friend-- who has just moved to Egypt-- and she said just ask your driver where to go cheap. How low on the star scale can you go and still reasonably expect something clean and safe?
Is it really practical, as I have read, to hire a taxi for the day? The security sounds good, but it isn't something I would expect to be able to afford in Manhattan or Rome.

quote:

Originally posted by decobabe:
I asked this of my onsite (Mumbai) friend-- who has just moved to Egypt-- and she said just ask your driver where to go cheap. How low on the star scale can you go and still reasonably expect something clean and safe?
Is it really practical, as I have read, to hire a taxi for the day? The security sounds good, but it isn't something I would expect to be able to afford in Manhattan or Rome.

Where in India are you going? In general, I find 5 star hotels in India much more affordable than almost anywhere else in the world, at around US$100-$150 a day, they are worth the splurge if you can afford it.

If you hire a car in Inida, the driver practically comes with it. If I remember correctly, the additional cost for a driver is about 200 Rs.(US$5) for an hour, discounted for longer period of time. Typically the car rental cost alone is several times the cost of a driver.

Whether one needs to hire a driver is another question, and it would depend on where in India you are going.

Steve

i visited mysore india a few years ago..it was so beautiful.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/content.cfm?content_ty...content_type_id=6589

here is an article i found on it. you should consider goin there!

I am starting from Mumbai because it is easiest to reach from Italy and I am very interested in it. From there I will wander on trains.
The car thing was actually hiring a taxi by the day and is supposed to be cheap, but how cheap?
5 star is way out of my budget. That is a Paris budget you are talking about. I am a poor European! I'll travel as low as I decide is safe, which is why I asked how low can I go.
My own prejudice is that in luxury hotels you meet people like you, not the people you came to find.

Mumbai is pretty expensive. Prices in Mumbai are going to be atypical for the rest of India.

Here's a web site that has some really good general travel information to Mumbai and Pune. One of links on the web site shows a list of hotels in the Mumbai and Pune area with prices. Be forewarned though: The web site is maintained by Osho. I know some people who are offended by the mere mention of the Osho name.

As in any other country, the star rating of a hotel alone does not necessarily correlate to safety. The location of a hotel is more relevant. I've seen several inexpensive hotels in safe neighborhoods in Pune and Goa. So depending on where you go, some local knowledge would be helpful.

The only place I'd hired a car with driver in India was in Pune. I paid between 1500 Rs. to 2000 Rs. for a day.

If you're interested in Mumbai, I'd recommend reading Suketa Mehta's book, Maximum City, Bombay Lost and Found, http://www.suketumehta.com/index.html. Arguably one of the best books written about the contemporary Bombay.

Steve

decobabe,
You may be interested in this site YMCA accommodations in India for reasonably priced places to stay.

We haven't been to India for 22 years, but we stayed in the pleasant and comfortable YMCA in New Delhi. I would check out each place individually because the quality probably varies from city to city, but it's another idea--especially for a woman travelling alone.

We LOVED India. Travelled by train. It's a whole world by itself with the variety of cultures, food, dress, religions, etc.

Charity

Another inexpensive lodging idea in India is to stay in Ashrams.

Check out this website ashram guesthouses in Pondicherryfor just one option--in Pondicherry on the east coast.

Charity

I am in the process of arranging a trip to India for my boss and have just received an itinerary from the travel agent in India that I am working with. While it is not a budget trip, they did include all of the cultural spots to see. I can list them if you want to see what they inclued. Unfortunately, the hotels are all very expensive luxury properties. So I can't help there.

One thing the travel agent did say is that it is getting late to be planning for the high season as it gets really packed there.

Kelly,
What did they consider the "high" season to be in India?
Charity

October to February are considered high seasons in India, but the country is large enough that one could easily find a good spot regardless of the time of year.

The travel agent told me Oct-Feb as SteveS said. But he pointed out that the Christmas to New Year time are particularly crowded and busy.

Hi Kelly ,

Namaste & Greetings from India !!!

I just saw your query on the Slowtalk forum....

I am from India and also happen to be a Tour Operator with most of my clients coming in from United States, Mexico, France and South America etc...

I shall be very happy to offer you tips / pointers about planning the tip for your boss - since this is what I do for a living..... and do it quite well......

October till March end is the peak season normally in India.......but since last year there has been a un-precedented increase in tourist arrivals and the traditional off season months (summer months - May, June, July etc) also saw a large number of tourists....

Though most of the delxue hotels are full for the peak season - Tour operators like us - do have block bookings and priority with Hotels and can help you in securing confirmations even in the peak season....

Just let me know how many days - your Boss has at his disposal and what are his ineterests and I shall advise you what to do in a day ...

I can be contacted at yatrik.com@vsnl.com

All the best and be in touch.....

Ajay Sharma

===================

quote:

Originally posted by KellyC:
I am in the process of arranging a trip to India for my boss and have just received an itinerary from the travel agent in India that I am working with. While it is not a budget trip, they did include all of the cultural spots to see. I can list them if you want to see what they inclued. Unfortunately, the hotels are all very expensive luxury properties. So I can't help there.

One thing the travel agent did say is that it is getting late to be planning for the high season as it gets really packed there.