Don & Kully's World Cruise on Viking Neptune

We did a seven-day independent tour of India that included stops in Delhi, Agra (Taj Mahal), Jaipur and the Ranthambore National Park for a Tiger Safari. This independent tour was definitely one of the highlights of the world cruise here are a few of the lessons learned and overall observations. For details about the specific places we visited on the tour check the blog posts we did within the Ports of Call category of the blog.

Lessons Learned:

We did a 7-day private excursion using Pacific Classic Tours (India), http://www.discoverydreams.com Shukul Garg was the agent.  They are a first-class tour company that I strongly recommend using if you are planning an independent tour. There were at least six different groups from our ship that booked tours through Pacific Classic and all of them raved about their experience.

It is very hot and dry, hydration is very important, drink lots of water. Sunglasses, sunscreen and bug repellant are highly recommended.

Food is spicy, and in at many of the restaurants only Indian food was available.  Since India is predominately Hindu beef was not available. Vegetarian dishes dominate most menus, but there is usually some chicken, mutton (lamb) and fish dishes offered. Occasionally, you will see “American dishes”, offered but keep in mind it is their version of our classics and may be disappointing.

If planning an independent tour use five-star hotels, it will be a four-star experience by American standards.  Also, they will offer an international breakfast insuring at least one meal per day will be something you are familiar with, and many of them have at least one Non-Indian cuisine restaurant.

You will need local currency for small purchases which is available through local ATMs .

Tourist sites are very crowded, so small groups work much better than larger groups.  Our group was 10 people, which worked very well. Not sure I would be comfortable in a group much larger. However, the Viking overland tour to Indian had approximately 200 people broken down into smaller groups of between 25 and 30. Folks I have talked to who were on the tour said it worked fine.

Air quality is poor if you have respiratory issues wearing a mask outdoors might be helpful.

Most of the sites we visited required a lot of walking and had a lot of steps, in many cases very steep and uneven steps were encountered. Elevators and escalators are not available. Comfortable walking shoes are a must.

Tap water in India is not safe.  Use bottled water for everything, including brushing your teeth and rinsing your toothbrush.

Toiletries provided by the hotels were inconsistent some had soap shampoo and conditioner, others only had soap.

Dress in India is conservative for men and women.  Most of the temples we visited required women to have covered shoulders and covered knees. If shoulders or knees are exposed a sari will be provided.

English is very prevalent.

Negotiating prices is common, your tour guide will tell you where negotiating is appropriate.

Electrical service in India is 220V and the most common wall outlet is the three pronged “type G”, you will need an adapter. We also found it helpful to carry an external battery pack for recharging phones while out on tours.

Security in India is very tight. Most of the historical sites and hotels had security inspections similar airport security.

Many of the public toilets are pay toilets, so having small dominations of local currency is a good idea. Also, toilet paper may or may not be provided, so always carry a small amount of tissue or toilet paper with you.

Some final observations about India:

The India golden triangle – Delhi to Agra to Jaipur is a must see!

India has a very different culture than the western world, at times it was hard to keep that point in perspective. We all tend to view places we visit through our own cultural lens and as a result miss out on the beauty and uniqueness of the places we visit. India falls into that category. For example, cows are sacred in the Hindu religion and are pretty much allowed to roam free. The cows walk freely along city streets and country roads, so the typical American reaction is, this is dangerous they should be corralled or tethered, but that’s not how the people of India feel, so we miss the simple beauty of their culture.  Whenever we caught ourselves asking questions like “why do they do it like that” or making a statement like “in our country we do it this way” we would remind ourselves to stop being judgmental and try to view whatever “it” was from India’s perspective.

Be prepared to see people living in what we would consider substandard conditions, children begging, different driving rules and standards, different religious customs and beliefs and a huge disparity between the social castes which has been part of Indian culture for thousands of years. 

India is a country of contrasts, and at times it is hard to grasp.  In some areas the country appears to be very backward, wheat is still harvested by hand using sickles and the stalks are manually gathered into small bundles, and camel drawn carts are used to haul it away. While at the same time cities such as New Delhi and Mumbai are modern bustling cities that have the same feel as any other modern city in the world. Additionally, traditional arts such hand tied rugs and inlaid marble crafts continue to be produced as they have been for thousands of years.

Having said all of this, India is still a beautiful place to visit with so many amazing historical sites and incredibly friendly and hospitable people.  The vibrant colors, amazing and sometimes strange smells, the sounds ranging from Muslim calls to prayer, to screeching monkeys and motorcycle horns all make India a truly unforgettable cultural experience.