I'm booked on the "Maharajas" tour in November 2009. A few questions for anyone who has already taken this tour, please:
How heavy should sweaters be for nighttime in November (I was planning on a medium fleece jacket).
Is it simply easier just to take cash and change it at the airport in Delhi?
Has anyone flown Emirates to Dubai (that's my flight)?
Can I take a suitcase on wheels, rather than a duffle, or does a duffle make life that much easier on this particular trip?
What exactly are the required vaccinations? The various webs are not user-friendly, nor is the CDC.
Thanks to anyone with any answers to these questions.
Hello,
If you are referring to the "Amongst the Maharajah" tour, I did this one in march.
Regarding luggage , I suggest a soft suitcase with wheels so it can fit easily in the bus. I had one and was perfectly fine as you won't have to carry it that much. Don't forget to take a larger bag than you expected so you have lots of empty spaces for souvenirs !
For the money I suggest to use the credit card as the tour leader will tell you when there is an ATM so you can stop to take some cash. It is very had to change Travellers Check so I don't recommend them...
For the weather I don't know how it will be in November,however I recommend to take a light jacket or sweater for the evening out and also because you will have air conditioning in the restaurants and sometimes it is quite cool !
Regarding vaccinations I'm not a doctor so don't want to suggest you anything but from my part I didn't do any special (like malaria or yellow fever). Again, I suggest you check with your local Tropical Disease office and they will be able to tell you more.
If you have other questions, don't hesitate
Regards,
Olivia
Among the Maharajas - Thank you Olivia75
Olivia:
Your information and suggestions were very helpful, especially the luggage answer. Thanks so much. If you have time, I'd really like to know if you enjoyed the trip, and anything in particular that you didn't enjoy. We are up to 17 on our trip, that's quite a lot, but it should be fun.
Thank you again. You've been most helpful.
Hello
yes I really enjoyed the trip. We were only 10 but 17 should be fine. The hotels are really great and some of them have a swimming pool, so don't forget to pack a swimming suit !
Another recommendation is to stay awake while in the bus, as you will be going through small villages so there's lot to see ! I really liked the "chaos" in the streets with cows, dogs, pigs everywhere...
If you have any questions or need info about this trip or India I can help you with great pleasure
Olivia
Health Questions
We attended the Government Travel Clinic and were told to ensure that we had HEP A&B, Typhoid, Tetaneus-Diptheria-Polio and to take some form of medicine for traveller's diarrhea and mosquito repellant.
Hope this helps.
Needless to say, we are making sure we have this with us as our tour follows yours (Sameer's Rajasthan) and criss-crosses your tour in November.
Maureen
Vancouver, BC Canada
Malaria
Hi,
There's a lot of debate about whether to take anti-malarials in Rajasthan, as the risk is relatively low and malarone is quite expensive (although much cheaper than it was even last year), and so a lot of people don't bother. However you ned to balance the cost against the risk. There IS malaria in this area and it has been on the rise the last 2-3 years, and if you do get it, malaria can be very serious, as well as life-long. Personal decision. I always take them on the advice of the doctors in my family. Will see you on the trip!
Pauline
Maharjah or Sameer's Trip
Pauline,
Which of the two trips are you on in November? The trips are coming up fast and furious with only 11 days to departure from Canada for me.
If it is Sameer's I will look out for you. The two trips overlap but at no time are we in the same location --- I checked.
Maureen
Vancouver, BC Canada
Maharjah or Sameer's Trip
Sameer's Trip is full with 15 people which should make the coach ride interesting!
Water In India
Hello All:
Hoping someone who has been to India can enlighten us on the situation with water. Is bottled water readily available, and is the water for showers in the hotel safe? India is almost dead last in water quality worldwide and there is a severe shortage of it according to press reports.
Regards,
Ron
For the water, the driver of the minibus used to sell water for a very cheap price, so we always bought it from him which was very useful !
For the shower yes the water is safe but do not drink it ! We didn't have problems to find water, you will also find sparkling water in the restaurant and also the very refreshing lemon soda
Olivia
No - I'm not on Sameer's trip - it looked good but the Tuesday departure is a pain. I will be on the Maharaja's trip. Enjoy your hols.
Pauline
Emirates to Dubai.
We flew Emirates from delhi to Cairo via Dubai and it was a great flight the only problem is it seemed, at that time, that all flights seem to leave and arrive in the middle of the night.
Now I am going back 4 years, when we left the Maharajas and went on to Jewels of the Nile. From there we took the Jordan tour and the Syria tour then flew back to Delhi from Damascas on Emirates, again a great flight, for another 10 days in India.
We had planned on taking Sam's tour starting at the end of January2010 but I see that it is cancelled also looked at a tour from Kolkota to Amritsar but it is full so I think we are going to go on the Maharajas again on the one starting January 30th. We will be flying in from Dubai and I know we will have a great time. We love India.
A word to Olivia, we never at any time had trouble cashing travellers cheques in India. We do not have a bank card.
Can anyone tell me if the new airport is open in Delhi? They were just starting it the last time we were there.