uclabruin82

Hello All,
My wife and I are starting to plan a trip to India and would appreciate any help I can get from this board. I have reviewed some of the older threads and trip reports which have been very helpful, so have some specific questions.

1) Tiger safari - we are definitely doing this. Since we would be going in December, which seems to be before prime viewing season, we were thinking about going to one of the &beyond properties. Again, from the older posts, it seems that Banjaar Tola seems to be the most highly recommended of the 4, but was curious if that has changed or if Mahua Kothi has a better chance of seeing a Tiger at that time. Separately, if logistics make us stay in the north, is Aman-i-khas a no brainer over Vanyavilas? Is there any difference in the safari itself, or is the difference only in the service/non-safari excursions?
a) A non-"luxury hotel" question, but in December, does anyone have a sense of how much likelier/less-likely we would be in seeing a Tiger at Aman-i-Khas vs the &Beyond properties? It is a pretty big travel commitment to get to &Beyond, but is worth it if it makes a big difference in seeing a tiger

2) Given 1 night at the Oberoi in Agra and 3 nights on Safari, that leaves us with 6 nights to go elsewhere (the last 4 nights are in Goa for some sun and beach). I think given travel times, and the fact that online I have not been able to find flights from Jaipur to Udaipur anymore, I would prefer to pick 2 places for 3 nights each. My current thoughts would be to do Rambagh Palance/Taj Lake Palace. Is it a real shame to miss out on Amanbagh? If we stay at Amanbagh for 3 nights and do a day trip to Jaipur, is that enough "to do Jaipur?" Or should I decide between Amanbagh & Jaipur?

3) In theory, we could do 3 stays of 2 nights each at the places mentioned above, but would I be missing out by trying to rush everything in (my sense based on previous similar threads is yes)?

Again, thank you in advance for any advice!

vuittonsofstyle

I get the feeling that this is your first trip to India. If so, do not attempt to do too much. Treat it as a toe in the water and see if you like it.

You do not say where you will fly into. I guess Delhi. In which case, you need to book a hotel there for at least 1 night. I would recommend either The Trident Gurgaon (very close to the airport and a great hotel) or if you want to spend more time in Delhi, then The Leela Delhi or The Lodhi (the ex-Aman property).

Getting to Madhyr Pradesh is not easy. Either be prepared to spend endless hours in a car or take a small private plane from Jabalpur Airport to Banjaa Tola (this is by far the best option of the AndBeyond/Taj offering).

There never is any guarantee that you will see tigers, whether you go to Madhyr Pradesh or Ranthambhore, so don't break your heart over it. If you are lucky, then great. if not, there are loads of other things and animals to get excited about.

The safaris in Ranthambhore are the same, whether you stay at Aman-i-Khas or The Oberoi Vanyavilas. You have as much chance of seeing a Tiger, wherever you stay.

As for the rest of your trip, I would definitely go to Agra from Delhi and stay at The Oberoi Amarvilas - only one night, though? There is much to see here and the hotel itself is a very good leisure destination. You don't need a beach to get sun and pool time, and Amarvilas is very good for this.

Talking about sun and beach - India is still rubbish when it comes to beach resorts. Goa has yet to get its act together, but the best of the bunch, I would say, is The Leela Goa, but only if you get one of the villas - do not stay in the main block.

Elsewhere, maybe go to Jaipur and stay at Rambagh Palace, or if you want a real treat, then go to Jodhpur an stay at Umdaid Bhawan Palace, which is managed by Taj. Great things to see here, plus an amazing palace hotel, spa, dining and some of the best shopping in India.

uclabruin82

Thanks! Yes, I think we have decided to shelve Goa to include a few extra days in places we find more interesting.
We are flying into Delhi as of now.
Based on your description, it does not sound like the extra inconvenience of making it to the &beyond safaris, so we will probably just stay in the north and try either the Aman or Oberoi and hope we get lucky.
Thanks again

pricesquire

I agree with this. India is a tough destination if you're just going to show up and see what happens. Tours, guides, transfers, and transport - anything to make it seamless and enjoyable as possible - are a necessity for a first timer (IMO).

I recommend using an on-site, even if just for basic planning...Peirce & Leslie & Greaves are my favorite.

sgh

My wife and I were in India in December 2014 . Keep in mind that the weather in north India can be iffy in December. for a terrific Gurgaon hotel we would recommend the Courtyard by Marriott Gurgaon. In the us , this is a low end brand. But in Gurgaon, we were blown away by how good the hotel was in terms of both the hard and soft products.

in Agra, we stayed at the Oberoi Amarvilas for 3 nights and were glad we did so. It rained one of the days and was overcast the second day. However, the hotel itself is terrific and staying there was a treat unto itself.

We did spend 3 nights at the Leela in Goa. It is the best resort in goa . my wife liked it, I was indifferent but we both agreed that resorts in the Carribean etc. are so much better.

In Jaipur, I would recommend the Oberoi Rajvilas over the Rambagh Palace . The Oberoi Vilas properties are arguably the best in the world.

We also went to Kochi in the South and stayed at the Vivanta by Taj, malabar. It was very nice too.

For your first trip to India, you may be better off staying in the north I.e. Delhi/Gurgaon, Agra, Jaipur,udaipur etc.

Btw, there are generally very few tiger sightings generally in December . that is why we chose to skip Ranthambore.

Have a wonderful time in India.

uclabruin82

So I agree that it makes sense to have an agency in India handle things, but I guess I had posted here because I wanted to get a sense of what I wanted to do before beginning to work with a planner.

pricesquire

That's where on-sites excel - brainstorming, gathering thoughts, picking out details of what you wanted even if you didn't know those wants/needs existed.

They also help immensely with the iota of a hotel stay: this room verses that room, those dates verses that date, etc.

India is just one of those places where a DMC/on-site can make your life SO much easier - even in the planning stages, eons before you actually depart for your trip.

Just my .02 cents.

HMPS

OP, Two nights in Agra is good. At one of the Taj you can see the Taj Mahal from your window.

Drop Goa. Better beach time away from India unless you are a real foodie.

Check Gir Game Preserve in the state of Gujrat. You can fly from Delhi to Jamnagar, Vadodara or Ahmedabad , chauffeur from there. Lions ( plural ) are almost guaranteed ! This is the only place. You can spot lions in India.

pricesquire

+1.

Also agree with sgh that, as a first timer in India, the Northern Circuit is the way to go.

uclabruin82

Gir is an interesting idea, but my wife and I went on safari last year to Tanzania for our honeymoon and saw plenty of lions. Even if they are different, it is close enough for us.

Sounds like I may have jumped the gun starting this thread before even beginning to work with a planner, but appreciate the inputs nonetheless.

And Goa is gone from the itinerary.

Ozchinois

I stayed 2 nights at the Oberoi Gurgaon recently and was blown away by the service especially from the F & B staff.

vuittonsofstyle

OK, I agree the service is good, but The Oberoi Gurgaon is a BIG, insensitively designed hotel compared to its next door neighbour, The Trident Gurgaon, which is smaller, better designed, of greater quality, better service, better food and much more like one of Oberoi's Vilas properties, which, interestingly, it was originally designed to be.

IndyHoosier

Any recommendations on where to stay at Gir? I am thinking about visiting in April.

Kagehitokiri

most here use this forum as a primary resource
otherwise there would never be threads planning trips
vast majority of information here is in form of answering questions, not trip reports

rereading OP, may not have seen some 2014 logistics discussions?
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...rney-agra.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...l#post23000953
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...l#post22814898

HMPS

Will reply later.

OP. If you will be in The state of Madya Pradesh, look up Bandhavgarh and Kanha preserves. Find an episode on PBS Story of India, hosted by a Mt. Blass
Mind you traveling to is time consuming !

Alternately while in MP, give thought to Varanasi ( Holiest place for Hindus, river Ganges) Skip the temples but make sure you go on a boat ride in the evening , see the riverbank rituals, the big Puja ( Aarti) . Do one temple if you have time. We have stayed at Rashmi Guest House, very good, 15 steps down and you can dip your toe in the river. Not a five star by US standards but very nice.
Ptherwise spend a day in Khajuraho see the temples. You WILL be FASCINATED ! Stayed at a Ramada, near four stars. Hotel Lalit is five stars. Check TripAdviaor for more.....Ask away