-vin-
Established
I'm very excited about this travel. I'll leave in the first days of August (I know, not the best period for visiting India
) and I'll stay there for almost a month.
Now I have to decide where to go precisely: India is a vaste country, and I heard that public transports, and many roads, are not the best. I'm struggling between Rajastan (probably the most turistic region) and Gujarat. The only firm point is Ladakh, but there are so many nice places to visit, and many of which I don't even know the existence...
Any suggestions for a RF photographer (well, I try...)
) and I'll stay there for almost a month.Now I have to decide where to go precisely: India is a vaste country, and I heard that public transports, and many roads, are not the best. I'm struggling between Rajastan (probably the most turistic region) and Gujarat. The only firm point is Ladakh, but there are so many nice places to visit, and many of which I don't even know the existence...
Any suggestions for a RF photographer (well, I try...)
Roger Hicks
Mentor
Consider also Dharamsala, home of the Tibetan Government in Exile.
Travel by train and taxi. Trains (I prefer 1st class non Air-Con to the more expensive 2nd class AC) are not expensive and you can hire a taxi for a day or more without breaking the bank. Don't worry about the roads: I've done thousands of kilometres in India on motorcycles. I wouldn't recommend buses, though. Crowded, vomit-inspiring and dangerous -- and 'video buses' with in-flight entertainment can be ear-splitting.
Be VERY WARY of Lonely Planet guides as their updating is sporadic and mention in LP tends to result in everyone and his dog going to the same place. I've had considerable success with asking the taxi-driver to take me to a good hotel. I make it clear that if I don't like the first, he takes me to a second, etc., usually for a fixed fee. Tourists are warned against this, but it's worked for decades for me (I first went to India in '82 or '83).
Sure the driver will be on a kickback but most Indians are extremely honest and eager to help you enjoy their marvellous country.
Cheers,
Roger
Travel by train and taxi. Trains (I prefer 1st class non Air-Con to the more expensive 2nd class AC) are not expensive and you can hire a taxi for a day or more without breaking the bank. Don't worry about the roads: I've done thousands of kilometres in India on motorcycles. I wouldn't recommend buses, though. Crowded, vomit-inspiring and dangerous -- and 'video buses' with in-flight entertainment can be ear-splitting.
Be VERY WARY of Lonely Planet guides as their updating is sporadic and mention in LP tends to result in everyone and his dog going to the same place. I've had considerable success with asking the taxi-driver to take me to a good hotel. I make it clear that if I don't like the first, he takes me to a second, etc., usually for a fixed fee. Tourists are warned against this, but it's worked for decades for me (I first went to India in '82 or '83).
Sure the driver will be on a kickback but most Indians are extremely honest and eager to help you enjoy their marvellous country.
Cheers,
Roger
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SolaresLarrave
My M5s need red dots!
A month in India sounds like an adventure to me... Good luck and bring plenty of color film! Other than that, I won't give any more advice. I've never been there, but the desire is growing.
If it's the first time you go, run a search in Photo.net. I remember having seen photos from an Indian photographer working with an SLR. They were gorgeous...
If it's the first time you go, run a search in Photo.net. I remember having seen photos from an Indian photographer working with an SLR. They were gorgeous...
payasam
a.k.a. Mukul Dube
Roger, there is no longer a 1st class non air conditioned on the railways. I'm in Delhi, -vin-, and willing to help if I can.
Roger Hicks
Mentor
Oh dear. As I typed that, I realized it might be no longer the case. Damn! That was my favourite!
Cheers,
Roger
-vin-
Established
Thank you for your offer, Payasam!
I'm not sure about the stages of this travel, but almost surely we will be in Delhi, maybe to take a plane to Ladakh. So it would be really nice to take a tea with you!
kully
Happy Snapper
I've had great adventures in 2nd class (or whatever it is that's one up from sitting on the roof) in both India and Pakistan. People are just so bloody friendly if you smile a lot.
Roger speaks much truth about the coaches - even if they are air-conditioned. And if you've ridden a motorbike before, getting yourself an Enfield and just going off is astonishing fun. It won't take long before you're riding just like everyone else.
And the Lonely Planet - I agree completely, you'll end up meeting the same people again and again, which can be depressing - I normally get a suggestion from Taxi drivers too. Still, good to keep with you if you just want somewhere at 3am after a 36 hour train journey.
Too much to single anything out, keep away from the big cities save for short bursts - the sheer hustle and bustle exhausts me within hours.
If you're taking C41, try and look for minilabs, I've come across some which are suprisingly well kept and negatives well handled in small out-of-the-way towns (of course, many which are bad too).
Try and learn some of the basic language of whatever part you are going to - if that's too much then Hindi/Tamil (North/South respectively) can be understood by most people, it goes a long way.
I'm green.
Roger speaks much truth about the coaches - even if they are air-conditioned. And if you've ridden a motorbike before, getting yourself an Enfield and just going off is astonishing fun. It won't take long before you're riding just like everyone else.
And the Lonely Planet - I agree completely, you'll end up meeting the same people again and again, which can be depressing - I normally get a suggestion from Taxi drivers too. Still, good to keep with you if you just want somewhere at 3am after a 36 hour train journey.
Too much to single anything out, keep away from the big cities save for short bursts - the sheer hustle and bustle exhausts me within hours.
If you're taking C41, try and look for minilabs, I've come across some which are suprisingly well kept and negatives well handled in small out-of-the-way towns (of course, many which are bad too).
Try and learn some of the basic language of whatever part you are going to - if that's too much then Hindi/Tamil (North/South respectively) can be understood by most people, it goes a long way.
I'm green.
payasam
a.k.a. Mukul Dube
Can't go to Ladakh -- or Rajasthan -- without touching Delhi.
-vin-
Established
Yes, LP is no more my favourite travel guide for the reason you mentioned... And I think it doesn't work well anymore, because everybody knows it.
I'll surely take with me some film, but I'd like to buy some on the place. Do you think there's enough choice? Are the prices good?
I'm not yet sure as of the places to visit... I was told that Rajastan is a bit too much on the touristic side, but probably this is true only for the more famous places like Pushkar or Jaipur... And the Ladakh intrigues me a lot, but I'm not a great trekker... I'm really uncertain. Any suggestions?
so, payasam, we must meet, and you'll tell me something about your city!
Thank you very much, guys, I'm having very good advices from you!
I'll surely take with me some film, but I'd like to buy some on the place. Do you think there's enough choice? Are the prices good?
I'm not yet sure as of the places to visit... I was told that Rajastan is a bit too much on the touristic side, but probably this is true only for the more famous places like Pushkar or Jaipur... And the Ladakh intrigues me a lot, but I'm not a great trekker... I'm really uncertain. Any suggestions?
so, payasam, we must meet, and you'll tell me something about your city!
Thank you very much, guys, I'm having very good advices from you!
Photon42
burn the box
Ladakh is an amazing place to go. I went there in 86 by bus and then back on top of one of those incredibly nice painted trucks to Shrinagar. Very impressive travel. However, Ladakh isn't really India
I actually never travelled on AC trains, but had very funny experiences on 2nd class three tier sleepers, packed up with people to the impossible.
My last visit to India was in 92, so what can I say? Need to go there again, I feel when typing this ... take care, have fun. I went there just with a Minox 35.
I actually never travelled on AC trains, but had very funny experiences on 2nd class three tier sleepers, packed up with people to the impossible.
My last visit to India was in 92, so what can I say? Need to go there again, I feel when typing this ... take care, have fun. I went there just with a Minox 35.
-vin-
Established
this is reeeeally interesting! do i need a particular driving licence to use a motorbike? consider the fact that i'm italian...
Anupam
Well-known
Ok. If you are not used to driving in India, I wouldn't recommend this. Driving in India is a whole different ball game - and can be dangerous if you're not up to it. My American friends often gripe about how hard it is to drive in Chicago or NYC. Well, Mumbai or Kolkata would make that seem like a bike ride in the park.
Roger Hicks
Mentor
I'll second the advice NOT to ride a motorcycle in India unless you are already a very experienced rider. I've done thousands of kilometres in India but I'd been riding for many years before I tried it for the first time.
Then again, Italian drivers (sorry, -vin-) are the worst in the world in my experience -- and I've driven or ridden in India, Mexico, Greece, Malta, Paris, Romania, Chicago and more -- so maybe if you can handle that, you could handle India. I have never been so consistently scared by bad driving as in Italy: so much so that I only go there now in the Land Rover, not on the motorcycle.
Admittedly, the worst Italian drivers I've seen have been around Aosta (two trips); around Venice they were a lot better. But they still frighten me.
Cheers,
Roger
Then again, Italian drivers (sorry, -vin-) are the worst in the world in my experience -- and I've driven or ridden in India, Mexico, Greece, Malta, Paris, Romania, Chicago and more -- so maybe if you can handle that, you could handle India. I have never been so consistently scared by bad driving as in Italy: so much so that I only go there now in the Land Rover, not on the motorcycle.
Admittedly, the worst Italian drivers I've seen have been around Aosta (two trips); around Venice they were a lot better. But they still frighten me.
Cheers,
Roger
ooze
Established
We travelled by train and can't complain. However, if you decide to buy train tickets for your next destination at every stop then you could waste a LOT of time waiting in queues. There is a ticket office for tourists at Delhi train station where you can buy all tickets for your complete itinerary. That's what we did after wasting half a day at Amritsar station. We decided to fix our itinerary and bought all tickets at once. That was a big relief.
As to locations...I'll second all the advice re LP. If it's big in LP, it's usually spoilt to some degree. Nevertheless, India is fantastic for a RF photog and there's lots to discover anywhere really.
As to locations...I'll second all the advice re LP. If it's big in LP, it's usually spoilt to some degree. Nevertheless, India is fantastic for a RF photog and there's lots to discover anywhere really.
-vin-
Established
No offence, Roger!
I know italians don't have a good reputation as drivers, and it is deserved.
But have you ever drove in Milan or Rome or, even crazier, Naples? Aosta is a little city, and the drivers are surely more disciplined than drivers from the cities mentioned.
I think you don't know the worst italian drivers!
(I work in Milan)
-vin-
Established
do you think that buying all the tickets in a touristic office in Delhi we could also save some money?
I've heard of some cheats made in these offices: how can we avoid them?
thank you for your advice!
-vin-
Established
Hi, Anupam. I don't think it's necessary to drive in Mumbai (I'll probably use a lot of public transports) but I was thinking that using the motorbike in the country around, for example, Delhi or Varanasi, or in the Ladakh, could be interesting. What do you think of this idea?
Thank you!
kully
Happy Snapper
vin, I would still recommend getting a bike in the country / out-skirts of town. Driving/riding inside the cities is too much stress and best left to the expert taxi/motor-rickshaw drivers.
I've Vespa'd Rome and Panda'd Naples and the danger level is only a little higher. The death-traps are the arterial routes like the GT road up from Delhi where I was genuinely scared for my life on a number of occasions with the trucks and coaches. But you want country roads no? Also remember that if you want a slice of home, India made Lambretta's and Vespa's under licence and have never stopped - look for Bajaj and LML.
I've Vespa'd Rome and Panda'd Naples and the danger level is only a little higher. The death-traps are the arterial routes like the GT road up from Delhi where I was genuinely scared for my life on a number of occasions with the trucks and coaches. But you want country roads no? Also remember that if you want a slice of home, India made Lambretta's and Vespa's under licence and have never stopped - look for Bajaj and LML.
ooze
Established
I can't remember whether it was actually cheaper; our India trip was back in 2001.
Please note that I'm not talking about any tourist office. This is a single train ticket sales office dedicated to tourists. It was somewhere on a second floor at Delhi train station...it may be a bit difficult to find. One potential problem is that someone realizes you're looking for the ticket office and tries to give you wrong directions, most probably to somewhere outside the station, where they will try to sell you god knows what.
Once we got our tickets, we found the train system in India to be surprisingly efficient. No further problems whhatsoever.
Roger Hicks
Mentor
No offence, Roger!
I know italians don't have a good reputation as drivers, and it is deserved.
But have you ever drove in Milan or Rome or, even crazier, Naples? Aosta is a little city, and the drivers are surely more disciplined than drivers from the cities mentioned.
I think you don't know the worst italian drivers!
(I work in Milan)
Dear Vin,
Oh, dear! Thanks for the warning!
A story:
Like most Celts, and of course most Southern Europeans, I tend to gesticulate a lot when I am talking.
When I was a boy, my mother used to say, "Now sit on your hands and say that."
Last time we were in Italy (near Venice), on a company trip to a restaurant in a bus, the driver was talking enthusiastically -- mouth and gestures.
My wife muttered to me, gesturing towards him, "Try saying that with your hands on the steering wheel."
Cheers,
Roger