| 13 DAY TOUR IN NORTH INDIA DELHI - AGRA - BHARATPUR - VARANASI - KHAJURAHO |
| Day 0: Jammu - Delhi Jammu - Delhi: train Jammu Tawi New Delhi Shalimar Express ( 4646 ): - leaves at 20.50, arrival 11.05 ( I only had one hour delay at arrival ) - 228 Rs in Sleeper Class; - one week before departure no second class tickets were available; - no first class available apparently on this train; - Sleeper Class : quite hard 'beds'; noisy, sometimes smell of the toilets, and in Dec cold ( take a sleeping bag ), a real adventure; - in any case : attach your luggage with chains to the seats, chains are being sold in nearly every station. Day 1: Delhi Delhi: + hotel Namaskar: - can be reached by foot from the station; - 150 Rs for single room; - basic typical backpackers hotel; - hot water in buckets; - no food available, only drinks; - owners can provide a lot of information, organized tours to Agra and Rajasthan ( two to eight days ), taxi's for city tour ( 480 Rs a day), ... Visited that day: + Crafts museum (close to the Purana Qila) : - there is a small village with typical houses from all over India; - you can see craftsman at work; - collection of crafts in wood, textile and metal; - recommended; - admission for free. + India Gate; + Residence of the president (no access); + Secretariat (no access); + Parliament (nearly invisible); + Jantar Mantar: - 5 US dollar admission; - very strange; - not so interesting, except if you are trilled by astrology. + Connaught Circus; + Clothing market (very busy in the evening time ). I had good food in Sona Rupa restaurant (more snack bar ). Day 2: Delhi Visited that day (transport on foot or rickshaw) : + Lahori gate (nothing to see); + Fatepur Masjid; + Town Hall: ugly building; + Sunheri Masjid (nr 7 in Lonely planet) : not spectacular; + Gauri Shankar temple: also a bird hospital to visit, but not really interesting; the temple is worthwhile a visit; + Red fort: closed due to militant activity; + Jama Masjid: - 50 Rs to bring in your camera; - relics of Muhammad in a white 'building' in a corner. + Meena bazaar: very busy, but nice; + Sunheri Masjid ( nr 24 in LP ) : not spectacular; + Raj Ghat; + Purana Qila : - 5 US dollar entry fee; - mosque inside quite interesting. To book train tickets: - two possibilities : special foreign booking office in train station ( but only payment in dollars, change in Rs or in Rs with a bank certificate of changing money ) or the general booking office; - for the general booking office : busy, you need in average a half hour to book one ticket; - you need to fill in a reservation paper that you can only find outside the main building; - you can make only one reservation for up to six people at one time. Day 3: Delhi - Agra Visited that day by a tourist taxi (480 Rs): + Red fort: still closed due to militant attack; + Humayun's tomb: - 10 US dollar entry fee; - there are some buildings to see when you pass the gates on the right hand side; - very nice place. + Nizam-ud-Din: - ask local help to find it; - probably a gift for 'charity' will be asked by your guide; - there are a basin, a mosque, two 'covered' tombs, several smaller tombs; - for free; - especially the tomb of the saint is worthwhile a visit. + Baha-i-temple (Lotus temple): closed on Monday, but you can see the building from the gate; + Qutab Minar Complex: - high entry fee ( 5 or 10 dollar ); - very nice architecture. + Moth-ki-Masjid: not really spectacular. + Laksmi temple: - Hindu temple; - recommended; - visit also the garden; - for free. The driver took me also to a shop; it was inevitable, but I did not buy anything. The rumors are that the drivers get up to 25 % commission. Delhi - Agra: + New Delhi Hyderabad A.P. Express (2724) + 2 hours 40 minutes leaves at 17.50; + 124 Rs (SL class). Agra: + hotel Kamal: - basic backpackers hotel; - hot water in buckets available; - clean; - 120 Rs for a double room; - very nice view of the Taj from the roof terrace; - meals available. Day 4: Agra I took a auto - rickshaw for the complete day and without limitations on kilometers for 350 Rs. I was taken at the end of the day to two factories/shops (of the government ) : one where carpets are made and one where marble pieces are made. In both you get first an explanation about the manufacturing (interesting) and then of course the shop. The driver said he receives 5% commission. Visited that day: + Taj Mahal: - 20 US dollar entry fee; - I went at 0630 and was nearly alone, from 0700 the big pack of tourists arrives; - do the effort and visit also the mosque. + Red fort: - 10 dollar entry fee; - maybe a guide is interesting. + Jama Masjid: not spectacular. + Itmad-ud-dauluh (or baby Taj Mahal) : - strongly recommended; - 5 or 10 dollar entry fee. + Chini-ki-Rauza: - no entry fee; - not interesting at that moment, but renovation works were under progress. + Akbar's mausoleum: - 5 dollar entry fee; - the entry gate, that you can see without paying the fee, is the most spectacular thing of the mausoleum; - inside monkeys and deer to see. + Dahal Bagh temple: - closed due to works. Next to the train station there is a booking office, with separate counter for strangers. Sometimes they give tickets starting from Raja Ki Mandi station. Don't worry nearly all those trains stop also in Agra Cantt (certainly the one to Varanasi) Day 5: Agra - Fatehpur Sikri - Bharatpur Agra - Fatehpur Sikri: + bus, 17 Rs; + every half hour; + 1 1/2 hour. In hotel Ajay Palace, near the bus stand, you find a luggage room ( 10 Rs ) Fatehpur Sikri is divided in two parts : Fatehpur (with Victory Gate, Jama Masjid and the tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti ): + no entry fee; + local guide : 50 Rs; + ask to explain the 'procedure' to make a wish in the tomb. Sikri (old city of Akbar): + 5 US dollar entry fee; + official guide : 100 Rs after bargaining for one hour (recommended) + very nice Moghul architecture. Fatehpur Sikri - Bharatpur: + bus, 12 Rs; + 1 hour; + go to the main road, busses don't stop at the bus stand. Barathpur: Tourist Lodge: + 120 Rs, double room; + basic; + hot water in buckets; + good food available; + bicycles, binoculars and maps available; + helpful and friendly manager. Remark: all hotels near the National Park were fully booked, reservation in advance is apparently necessary. Day 6 - 7: Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur) National park: + 200 Rs entry fee a day; + bicycle 40 Rs a day rented in the hotel; interesting to go do the big distances in the park, but the exploration is best on foot; + in the park only drinks ( and one kind of Indian snack ) available; ask a packed lunch in the hotel; and watch out for the monkeys who try to steel your food; + guide 40/50 Rs a hour, with a minimum of 4 hours; + take a guide for a half day and explore then by yourself; + ask the guide to see the pythons. Bharatpur - Agra: + bus, 27 Rs; + 2 1/4 hour Agra - Varanasi: + train Jodhpur Varanasi Marudhar Express ( 4864 ) + 225 Rs, SL; + leaves 1945 arrives 0815. Day 8 - 9: Varanansi Varanasi: Jiva Guesthouse (next to Alka hotel) : + 120 Rs double room; + very basic, common bathroom; + hot water in buckets; + food available. Most hotels near the Ganga can not be reached by rickshaw; you have to walk 500 m up to 1 kilometer. Most of the drivers will try to take to the hotel of their choice (they get commission). Don't take a driver with you to the hotel and you'll be able to get a cheaper price for the room. The cremations are taking place at the Manikarnika Ghat (biggest) and the Harishchandra Ghat). Taking pictures is not allowed. Dasashwamedha Ghat is the main ghat, where in the morning and evening religious ceremonies are taking place (sunset en sunrise). Sarnath: + Buddhist site at 10 km from Varanasi; + 80 Rs by rickshaw; + archaeological museum : 2 Rs, not spectacular; + site with Dhamel Stupa : 5 US dollar entry fee; + Mulagandha Kuti : rather modern Buddhist temple; + there are in the village temples from different countries, ask a rickshaw driver to take you around, you find Japan, Korean, Birma, Sikkim, Thai, Chinese, Tibetan (maybe even more) temples. Recommended. Day 10: Varanasi - Khajuraho Varanasi - Khajuraho : + flight with Jet Airways; + 80 US dollar ( special, higher fare for foreigners ); + leaves at 1210; + 70 Rs for rickshaw till hotel. Khajuraho : Jain hotel : + 150 Rs for double room; + basic but clean; + some rooms have a hot shower; + meals available; + taxi service available. Visited that day : + Eastern complex : for free; + Old village: recommended. Restaurant Meditarraneo: little expensive ( back packer norm ) but recommended. Day 11: Khajuraho Visited that day: + Western temple complex: - 10 US dollar entry fee; - guide : 225 Rs; bargaining not possible, recommended; - also audio guide available. + Matangeshvaro: - in the evening ( 1830 ) religious ceremony where tourists are allowed; - interesting. + Rajnagar: - nearly no tourists; - Tuesday : market day ( vegetables and other goods ); - approx 5 kilometer away; - gold and silver smith to see. Day 12: Khajuraho - Delhi - Amritsar Done that day: + tour with some local boys to Shiva temple in the mountains (temple not interesting, trip and view nice) and to a local village (not visited by tourists or tour operators) + shopping. Khajuraho - Delhi + 100 US dollar, Indian airlines; + leaves 1710; + direct flight, one hour. Taxi airport to New Delhi train station 120 Rs. Delhi - Amritsar: + Bilaspur Amritsar Chattisgarh Express ( 8237 ) + 856 Rs, 2A class (better beds, only six in a compartment, curtains, bed sheets available, more quiet, still quite cold ) + leaves 2105 arrives 0835. Day 13: Amritsar - Jammu Visited in Amritsar: + Golden temple (strongly recommended); + the place where British soldiers killed hundreds of Indians; + Silver temple ( Hindu temple, not as impressive as the Golden temple but very nice silver work on the doors ) and the cremation place nearby ( recommended, even if you visited Varanasi ). I have done the tour by a bike rickshaw: 140 Rs. I left my luggage in the clock room of the train station and he took me to the bus station, the different sites, the restaurant, the train station to pick up my luggage and back to the bus stand. Total time five hours. Amritsar - Jammu: + 120 Rs, video coach; + leaves at 1500 or 1530 depending on the company; + 4 to 4 1/2 hours. |
| Trip done in Jan 2001 |
| PROGRAMME |
| Courtesy Geert Debel |