India

We had heard India was chaotic and intense. With 1 billion people it was always going to be a bustle, we knew it and mentally prepared accordingly. But, you can never know what it’s really like until you visit yourself.

We touched down in Goa, but it wasn’t until we reached Mumbai that we got the full Indian treatment. The heat begins to cook you with no escape in the concrete city. It was monsoon season the humidity devilishly high and fiercely draining. Our clothing reduced to wet rags in a few short minutes.

There is a stench that hangs in the air constantly. It comes from the litter-lined streets along with the holist of cow’s manure, all masked by the burning of potent incenses. We will not sugar coat it, our skin tones made us shining beacons, someone is always staring. Especially the men, for foreign women it’s hard to ignore what feel like eyes full with lust.

Old woman, children and the disabled hone in on anyone who looks different, tapping your car window, in the train station’s, near the bazaars. It takes a thick skin to deal with some of the sights of poverty.

But… It’s India, it’s wild and was always going to be a shock to the system. Come to terms with these Indian realities and a beautiful cricket mad country will reward you 1000 times over. Under its rough edges is a country of great faith, food, history and a rare beauty. It’s a country that given time you will fall deeply in love with just as we have.

*This blog was written in 2017, please note some things may have changed*

Transport

Colombo, Sri Lanka to Goa, India

We were unable to find direct flights to Goa, so we settled for the one stopover in Chennai. This meant another sleepover at the airport, unfortunately this was the fastest route for us so we had to deal with it. Flight times weren’t very long, it was just waiting at the airport that took most of our time. Service on SpiceJet was standard, this was our first time flying with them so we were pleased with everything.

Goa Airport to Vagator, North Goa

Once we finally arrived at the airport in Goa, we found 3 other travellers that were also heading to Vagator in North Goa. We flagged down a 7 seater taxi and settled for the price of INR 1,600 (to be divided by 5 of us). The journey from the airport took 1 ½ hour and after a long travel day we were so happy to arrive.

Top Tip – There is no ATM at the airport, our taxi driver stopped at 4 local ATM’s, none of our cards worked so we tried our luck next to the gas station in Vagator there was one last ATM. Here our international travel cards worked! Hoorah!

Vagator, North Goa to Mumbai

Most train tickets in India sell out months in advance. As we are not that organized we had to get these emergency (Tatkal) tickets from the train station a day before at 11am for sleeper class or 10am for first or AC class.

Tatkal tickets go on sale at these times everyday to everyone in India, so you need to give enough time to fill out the forms at the station beforehand and get ready to wait in line.

We met these awesome travel bloggers “The Spindrifters” in Sri Lanka and they informed us on these awesome emergency tickets. They have even wrote a blog post entirely on how to get Tatkal train tickets. We followed this word by word and managed to get some tickets!… Phew, Bianca was getting stressed.

Check out their handy guide here – http://thespindrifters.com/blog/how-to-get-tatkal-train-tickets-in-india/

Unfortunately the only sleeper train we could get from Goa to Mumbai, meant we had to travel from Vagator to Madgaon train station which was 53km away! Only way to get there was by taxi. Taxi ride cost us INR 1,200 for the both of us and nearly took 2 hours.

Our train left at 10pm in the evening and we arrived 10am the next day at Mumbai CST train station. As we were in sleeper class, this meant we got a bench like bed all to ourselves and both of us were in the upper berths.

For our first sleeper train in India it wasn’t too bad, it’s a bit dirty but totally fine. Everyone in the surrounding berths are so friendly and welcoming. When we were uncertain about which train to hop on to start with or where we were, there was always a friendly Indian happy to help us.

Mumbai to Udaipur

As the train was once again fully booked, we tried our luck with the Tatkal tickets, this time at the Mumbai CST train station. Here they have a separate tourist window, there is not many people waiting and so it was easier to get tickets.

Mumbai to Udaipur was the longest train we would have taken… a total of 17 hours and the only night train available. It left at 11.35pm from Bandras Terminus, which was 1 ½ hour by uber from our accommodation. We didn’t arrived just until after 4pm the next day. What a day! We recommend to bring something to entertain for the long trip and a sheet or blanket to lye down onto your bench-like bed.

There are people in the morning selling water and food in the carriages, so don’t worry if you have run out of the either.

Udaipur to Jaisalmer

This was our first sleeper bus in India so we weren’t sure what to expect. We bought our tickets in advance on makemytrip.com, buses are a lot easier to obtain, as they don’t book up in advance like the trains, you can always by a ticket on the day of your travel. In this situation we bought our tickets online in advance as the website also provided a 20% discount.

We left from the boarding point at 9pm and arrived in Jaisalmer at 8.15am. I booked two sleeper seats next to each other, which turned out to be a little double bed – the two sleeper seats combined into one, on the upper deck. If you are a solo traveler I would suggest buying the one sleeper bed by itself, so you are not sharing the double sleeper with anyone random. At first we were in love with this bus, the mattress was comfortable and big enough for 2 of us to cuddle! There were also built in pillows and privacy of closing off your area with sliding the window and curtains.

Unfortunately our little berth had a few AC issues! We couldn’t adjust the airflow as it was broken and there was also water dripping out of the AC… this meant we had an awful sleep! We were the only berth that experienced this issue and because it was a full bus we could not change our seats.

Jaisalmer to Jodhpur

This time we took the train to travel to Jodhpur, luckily we were able to book this ticket in advance in Mumbai. They only seats left were in sleeper class, which we didn’t mind about. We boarded the train at 5pm at Jaisalmer station and didn’t arrive until 10.50pm. The journey itself was alright, Bianca was a bit uncomfortable with the heat as we weren’t in AC class but once the sun went down it was a more bearable ride.

Jodhpur to Pushkar (Via Ajmer)

I don’t know where to begin with this bus journey… Somehow the bus we booked in advance with makemytrip.com was cancelled and last minute they put us on a local bus leaving an hour and a half later than planned. We didn’t realize what happened until half way through the journey as we thought it was fishy our bus company, time, seats and drop off point had changed to when we booked it in the first place.

Instead of dropping us at the Ajmer bus station, we were unloaded on the side of the main road at the Ajmer bypass instead. There were 2 rickshaws waiting for us just after midnight (2 hours later than we expected) and were charging extortionate prices to get Pushkar, we had to go with it, as we had no other ride! We didn’t arrive until 1am in the morning and very grumpy of how the bus situation was handled.

I would suggest booking buses on the day, as most of them do not fill up in advance. Clarify with the travel agent all the details and make sure they aren’t sending you on a wild goose chase like us!

Pushkar to Jaipur

We were a bit weary on this bus journey as our previous bus experience was awful! But it turned out well in the end, we left Pushkar at 8.30pm and arrived on time at 11.30pm. From the main bus station we grabbed a rickshaw to our hotel, at this time at night there were still a lot of rickshaws out so you can bargain a good price. We paid 70 rupees to take us near 1 km.

Jaipur to Agra

This was a pleasant ride as we got to finally ride in the AC carriage. While we have been traveling around India in 35-40 degrees heat we were so happy in our decision in buying AC tickets. Our train was delayed by half an hour and the total journey time was around 4 hours. We do recommend the AC carriage for a more comfort able journey, especially in the hotter months.

Accommodation

North Goa, Vagator

Bethany Inn – We found this accommodation on Agoda, after have numerous bad experiences with booking.com, we decided to move to Agoda to book most of our hotels/hostels. This was a quaint inn, located close to the centre of Vagator and everything you needed was in walking distance. Our room was very basic and clean, with an ensuite bathroom. The beds were so uncomfortable, I don’t think either of us got any decent sleep while we were here, but I guess this is what you pay for. The WIFI was in and out and if you are working from abroad like us, this can be very frustrating.

Our stay here was nothing special and the staff weren’t very helpful, so we don’t recommend this accommodation to anyone, next door our friends stayed at the Seaview Holiday Apartments and for $1 USD more the room also came with a kitchen. They could recommend this place for us.

Mumbai

Abode Boutique Hotel – Lovely little boutique Hotel just down the road from Mumbai’s tourist attraction “Gate of India”. Some hotels/ hostels bandy the word boutique but then don’t back it up. Abode nails it. The scented air when you walk into the hotel, the smooth jazzy covers playing in the background ambiance, brick finishes rugged walls and a lovely reading library corner. Down to the furniture, faucets, the plates, cups and bowls. In my mind boutique is about details, and the Abode covers them all!

Our room was large with the bathroom splitting the area into an open bedroom and a separate sitting area by the door. High ceilings and large raised windows give the room plenty of light while remaining private. The bed is soft and the pillows puffy.

A grand bath is also at your disposal should you wish. Otherwise a smallish bathroom packs a punch. Sweet smelling soap, a shower head that works properly and a sophisticated hand basin. After walking around all day in Mumbai’s heat. This bathroom is so nice for getting that clean feeling back. Breakfast was included and apart from a good coffee I recommend you try the egg buhji, it’s a chill scrambled egg with onions and tomato’s. They also provide a spread of bread, muesli, and some other Indian style breakfast items. Yes we 100% recommend anyone to visit this neat little Abode in the heart of Mumbai.

Udaipur

Hotel Thamla Haveli – This was a beautiful find on Agoda, I saw the photos of the amazing roof top and the price and thought it was too good to be true! We arrived straight from our 17 hour train ride and were so happy to check in our room and cool off in the shower. Our room was very simple but had everything we needed; we recommend booking a room with AC, as it gets very very hot!

The room was also situated on the rooftop with beautiful seating to watch the sun go down and the city light up at night. It had a relaxing ambience, which we enjoyed and also had an in-house kitchen where you can dine in with your own rooftop view. We really enjoyed our stay here and the loved the location of the hotel.

Jaisalmer

Mystic Jaisalmer – When we arrived at Mystic the beautiful building immediately blew us away. Built from sandstone its facade is as intricate as some of the buildings we have seen inside great palaces. Inside we were greeted by amazingly friendly staff who gave us plenty of eagerly accepted cold water. It was only 10am yet the temperature was in the high thirties. Our room’s main feature was its large bed. Bedposts with draped curtains matched the feel of the hotel and we were glad to rest in this giant bed after our night bus.

Breakfast is included and you have an incredible view of the fort and palace while you eat. I rose early and watched the sunrise from the rooftop, stunning. Located walking distance to all of Jaisalmers attractions it was a perfect base. We also booked our camel Safari through Mystic, we loved the whole experience.

Jodhpur

Ratan Vilas – Ratan Vilas has been in the same family for an incredible 97years, the family influence is felt throughout the hotel. It has a luxury yet homely feel. At the end of a long driveway a grand building waits. Set back far enough from the street the bustling horns of the outside world are drowned out by trickling water features.

Although we arrived near midnight our greeting was warm and comforting. We noticed a pool on the way to our room, something we knew we would use plenty over the next few days to escape the heat. Our large room again had a homely feel, comfortable pillows, vibrant décor and a large clean bathroom with a hot shower. Everything a few weary travelers needed. Breakfast buffets are always a favourite and matched with a good quality plunged coffee Bianca and I were fully prepped for our day exploring.

The hotel has its own restaurant and remains open for late arrivals potentially famished from travel. Its open courtyards and lawn give plenty of space and being set back the hotel has lots of privacy. The pool is a godsend in the heat and all amenities are provided for you. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Ratan Vila’s and wouldn’t hesitate to return should we visit Jodhpur again one day.

Pushkar

Kanhaia Haveli – We decided to stay in a hotel close to the lake as we have heard everything is walking distance from there. We found this hotel on Agoda.com, it was a great find and popular among tourists. We booked the standard room as we were only here for one night, very basic, smaller than usual for a bedroom but for the lack of time it was perfect.

The staff were friendly enough, WIFI was only available in the common areas (which we found standard across India) and the atmosphere was average. Really nothing special about this place at all, the location of the hotel was the main reason why we booked this place, everything is right at your doorstep or a 5-minute walk. If short on time like us then this hotel is doable.

Jaipur

Jai Singh Palace – This was a really great find! We opted for the Deluxe room as it offered AC (our best friend in the heat) and included breakfast, which is always a bonus. The room itself was clean and came with an ensuite bathroom.

The bed was so comfy! In India it is hard to come by a soft bed so we were really stoked with it. Jai Singh Palace also offered laundry services here so we got up to date with all our dirty washing.

The staff were very helpful and as usual answered all my many questions. The one thing we did not enjoy was the food service, it was really hard to communicate exactly what we wanted for breakfast, I decided to skip curry for breakfast and order a bowl of cornflakes, not knowing I would be served a small handful. Apart from the food service everything was great and we do recommend staying here as it was in a close proximity of the old city.

Agra

Sai Palace – We saw a lot of negative reviews online about Agra, so we decided to stay just for one night. The only reason to visit was to see the Taj Mahal at Sunrise.

We booked one of the cheaper accommodations with decent reviews we could find, and that was the Sai Palace. It felt a bit grubbier than the places we were usually staying at but for a cheap price and only a few hours sleep we didn’t mind. The best thing about this place was the location! Only 3 minutes walk to the Taj Mahal west gate, so its perfect to walk over for sunrise.

Recommended restaurants

Goa

• Mango Restaurant is a popular restaurant among Indian and western tourists as they serve both Indian and Western food here. Our friends didn’t rate this place for food but we did come here to enjoy a few alcoholic beverages.
• Ujwal restaurant – Is more of a local restaurant serving some damn tasty curries. As it is in a tourist area we tried a chicken tikka masala and didn’t get sick. We recommend eating here.

Mumbai

• Gokul bites – We came here everyday for lunch, as it was cheap and also delicious! It was nice for a change not to eat rice, we weren’t getting sick of the curries but of the rice. Here at Gokul bites you can get roti wraps with different vegetarian curries inside and it was so tasty! Recommend going here if you are staying close to the gateway of India like us.
• Bademiya family restaurant – Another close restaurant to Abode boutique, this started off as a little pop out window and now created as a restaurant chain. For Mumbai prices (Mumbai is one of the more expensive cities) it has standard prices for meals. The curries are average and nothing special.

Udaipur

• Long shore restaurant – Right next our accommodation hotel Thamla Haveli, is the Long Shore restaurant. Serves delicious curries right on the waters edge where you sit on a mattress with your knees crossed, my way of fine dinning.

Be warned if you like spicy food like us and ask for it to be spicy, they probably will not give it to you spicy! No one thinks we can handle the heat.

• Charcoal restaurant – We did not eat here, but a fellow instagrammer recommended it to us raving about the food and the best rooftop city view. Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to check it out.
• Natraj restaurant – The perfect place for lunch! Located a few kilometers out of the main touristic centre, this restaurant is worth venturing out for. For INR 160 each you will get an authentic Rajasthan Thali, but wait it’s all unlimited so you can eat as much as your heart desires.
• Pap’s juice’s – If you are like me and craving a smoothie or a healthy muesli breakfast you have come to the right place! Close to the foot bridge to Udaipur city is Pap’s juices. You can find an array of fruit outside serving different types of juices, smoothie‘s and my favourite lassi’s, all so tasty!
• Street food opposite Jagdish Temple – This was a great find by “The Spindrifters”, we found their street food blog post and ended up at this awesome place that we don’t know the name of. They serve these tasty bowls of smashed up samosa, crud, nuts, baji mix and coriander all for 25 rupees!

Check out where exactly this place is through The Spindrifters blog here: http://thespindrifters.com/reviewssecreteats/secret-eats-the-cafe-with-no-name-udaipur-india/

Jaisalmer

• Chandan Shree restaurant – A very local restaurant that serves traditional Rajasthan Thali’s for INR 120. Delicious tasters of a variety of curries, you can’t go wrong and what’s better is they keep topping you up, unlimited food! That’s what we are talking about.
• Ridhi Sihi restaurant – Similar to Chandan Shree, you can get another delicious Thali here – all you can eat! We like going to these kinds of restaurants at lunchtime for a big meal and having a light meal of street food and a mango lassi for dinner.
• Kanchan Shree Ice Cream – Here they serve the tastiest lassi’s I have ever had! You can get natural Lassi’s or ones that come with ice cream, any flavour you want! I recommend the mango Lassi.
• Street food – Behind our hotel “Mystic Jaisalmer” is a road full of street food that comes alive at night-time. We sampled all the different varieties of samosas, omletes and fried noodles. All at very cheap prices and making sure they were vegetarian only.

Jodhpur

• Stepwell Café – We stumbled upon this quirky café while watching the locals swim in the stepwell. We decided to buy a few drinks and snacks to get a good view of the activity below. It was perfect to hang out place and get away from the heat.
• Blue Turban restaurant – After asking permission from the locals to go onto their rooftop, we asked for a recommendation of where to eat dinner – they suggested the Blue Turban restaurant. We took their word and had a delicious romantic dinner on the rooftop, having prime view of the Mehrangarh Fort.
• On The Rocks – If you are looking for finer dining and great ambience, check out “On The Rocks” restaurant. They serve deliciously tasty food in a perfect outdoor eating environment.

Pushkar

• Il Fornaio restaurant – After 2 weeks in India we caved and decided to eat Italian pizzas for dinner. We weren’t sick of curries just yet but we were craving a delicious pizza and we saw online a great pizza place in Pushkar, so we couldn’t resist. We highly recommend Il Fornaio as the pizza is cooked traditionally in a wood-fire oven. Also the price is very reasonably and they serve very large portions.
• Pawan Falafel restaurant – Another restaurant recommended to us and its another not Indian. Being vegetarian in India was starting to takes it toll, we saw this falafel place and had to try it as we both really like falafel and it was something different that we haven’t recently had. They also do really great Masala Chai here!
• The laughing Buddha – Here we go, finally an Indian restaurant to recommend! After tasting a few different country cuisines we went back to Indian food, this place is great for delicious curries and at an affordable price. It also has a perfect view overlooking the lake.

Jaipur

• Jaipur Home Cooking School – We had decided to do a cooking class in India, as we love curries so much. We did some research and found “Jaipur Home Cooking School”. Payal was a great teacher; she started the class by taking us to the spice market and showing us the different spices that were used in the curries. The next stop was at the vege market where we got to choose one vegetable that we would turn into a side dish. We spent the next 2 hours in her kitchen learning and cooking ourselves: 1x dhal curry, 1x masala curry, 1x vegetable dish, chipati, rice and chai masala. It was such a fun evening and we learnt a lot about Inidan food and their culture. We highly recommend this unique experience with Payal as she is a lovely and informative teacher, we can’t wait to make our own home-cooked curries!
• Peacock Rooftop Restaurant – Is a popular choice among travellers. It is a quirky rooftop restaurant with excellent service. The ambience was spot on and the food was absolutely delicious. The food is a bit pricey but well worth it and if you are craving western food, there is lots to choose from.

Agra

• Shankara Vegis Restaurant – For what we have heard Agra is over-priced. Luckily we found this decent restaurant that served some tasty food with finally a good kick to their curries. Brett and I love our spicy food but for some reason haven’t been served a lot of it. We recommend the food at Shankara Vegis and to top it off they have a roof-top to view the Taj Mahal.

Udaipur

• City Palace – one of my favourite palaces in the world is found in Udaipur. Constructed on the banks of the Lake Pichola is a spectacular sight to see both during the day and at night. The palace begun under leadership of Maharana Udai Singh but were completed by his successors. The structure in a nice blend of Chinese, medieval and European form of architecture.
• Jagdish Temple – located in the city palace complex. This temple was built by Maharana Jagat Singh and dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Beautiful work of art, it is carved out of a single piece of black stone.
• Watch the sunset at the most popular spot in town, Ambrai Ghat. You wont be alone here, but with prime location of watching the sun go down, it is wel worth it.
• Gangaur Ghat – is the main ghat situated near the waterfront of Lake Pichola. It is a popular place for locals to have a swim and wash their clothes. Perfect place to chill out in the water and if it gets to hot you can always take a dip.
• Bagore-Ki-Haveli – Next to the Gangaur ghat on the waterfront, it is another palace. Built by a Mewar prime minister has since been carefully restored. There are 138 rooms with numerous courtyards and balconies. The interior is exquisite, embellished with intricate and fine mirror work.
• Elephant Gate – for some local shopping of textiles, sarees, produce and souvenirs, it can be found near the surrounding streets of elephant gate. Here you can find it at local prices, as you are not close to the tourist centre.
• Have a local give you a Henna tattoo – There are many places around Udaipur and India to get a Henna tattoo. While walking through the markets near Elephant gate I asked where I could get Henna done, an old lady led us to this house and a girl my age in her mid twenties, drew henna on my foot. As we were in more of a local part of town it was nice to be welcomed into someone’s home, and seeing who are money was helping.

Pushkar

• Brahma Temple – Only Brahma Temple in the world. The temple is a place of deep spirituality; thousands of devotees come here to pay homage to the many gods that live in this temple town.
• Pushkar Lake – Pushkar is small enough to walk around everywhere. We enjoyed walking around the lake and seeing the different ghats that the locals were bathing and washing their clothes in. Note – that you will need to take off your shoes when you get close to the lake.
• Markets – Along the main road parallel to the lake is a road full of small shops where you can buy souvenirs, handicrafts, clothing, gems and much more. I really enjoyed these markets as they had a hippy vibe to them.
• Savitri Temple – This temple is dedicated to the desolated wife of Lord Brahma, Savitri. Built in 1687, on top of the Ratnagiri Hill behind the Bramha Temple.
• Camel Safari – If you don’t have time to get to Jaisalmer and would like to go on a camel safari ride then you can jump on a tour here. Of course we do highly recommend doing it in the desert Jaisalmer itself.
• Pushkar Camel Fair – The biggest event to hit Pushkar is the Camel Fair. It is held each November during full moon and over a period of 14 days. It attracts thousands of camels, horses, cattle and over 400,000 people! Here you can watch the buying and selling of livestock and all the color that goes with this unique carnival. 

Jaipur

• Amber Fort – Another beautiful fort made from yellow and pink sandstone and white marble. It is situated on the hill in Amer city, 4km from Jaipur. It is known for its artistic style blending both Hindu and Rajput elements. A steep ten minute walk up the hill is well worth the sights of Amber fort.
• Jal Mahal Palace – Experience the magic of Jal Mahal Palace, an architectural gem floating in the middle of Man Sagar Lake in Jaipur, India. This stunning water palace with its intricate design and picturesque backdrop is a must-visit.
• Galta (Monkey) Temple – The Galta Monkey Temple, set amidst Jaipur’s hills, is a captivating haven steeped in Hindu spirituality. Known for its playful resident monkeys and ancient architecture, this sacred site offers stunning views and natural springs believed to hold sacred powers, drawing visitors seeking both tranquility and cultural immersion in Rajasthan’s vibrant heritage.
• City Palace – Step into grandeur at City Palace, Jaipur’s majestic royal residence in India. Marvel at the exquisite blend of Rajput and Mughal architecture, adorned with opulent courtyards, stunning gardens, and ornate structures. Immerse yourself in the rich history and opulence of this magnificent palace, which stands as a testament to Jaipur’s royal heritage.
• Hawa Mahal – Behold the architectural marvel of Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds, in Jaipur, India. This iconic pink sandstone structure, with its intricate latticework and honeycomb design, is a visual delight. As you stand in awe of its 953 windows, experience the cool breeze and panoramic views that make Hawa Mahal an unforgettable stop on your Jaipur journey.
• Johari Bazaar – This bazaar is great for jewellery and gemstone souvenirs, we (mainly Bianca) had a lot of fun looking at different types of gems and stones. Perfect place to buy these.
• Bapu Bazaar – is the place where you want to buy handicrafts, shoes and sarees. There is a wide selection of beautiful pieces; you are bound to find something special!
• Jaipur Home Cooking Class – Our highlight in Jaipur was this cooking class. We wanted to learn how to make traditional and authentic curries. Payal was a great informative teacher, who taught us what spices to use to make different curries, alongside the side dishes and the famous chai masala drink. It was such a fun experience and we both can’t wait to put what we learnt into practise back home.