Travel India first time
 

Hi,
Start with our tips for taking the ultimate travel plunge: going to India for the first time.
The most popular India tour is the all-time classic Golden Triangle. Clichéd, yes, but if time is short this is a fantastic introduction to three of India's very best destinations. Start in Delhi (Hamayun's Tomb, Old Fort) before hitting Agra (Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri) then Jaipur (Pink City, fort at Amber). Head back to Delhi's wonderful bazaars for a final shopping spree before you fly home.

Too many people try to cram too much into a visit to India. Don't be one of them. Seeing one place slowly is so much more rewarding than seeing many places in a flash. You'll be lesstressed, gain a deeper understanding of where you are and have more time to build relationships with the people you meet.

Have you travelled India by bike? What bike did you ride on? How many miles? Months on the road?

Any tips about renting vs. buying? Buy Back? What to watch out for?
Best place to easily find a bike as a foreigner?

I hear a lot about Goa and vicinity ... thoughts?

I'd like to stay out of big cities on a bike, so maybe hit Delhi without a bike?

What's a calm, relatively traffic free route on a bike? (if one even exists!)

bier

India
 

I have travelled in India a bit... Driving in one of the big cities is like driving in a sea of traffic especially around rush hour........ now days GPS can make this far more painless, almost fun!

Goa is far more calm and I only ever suffered from "karma" driving once.. this is when the truck driver takes the attitude that is number is up! and is beyond caring about life let alone any of the alleged rules of the Indian road!

Goa is like India crossed with the catholic church, beautiful white washed churches dotted about around the paddy fields. I have primarily got about but 125cc motorbikes and taxi, if on my own (otherwise family drive me in their cars.)

Inland Goa is far less touristy than than on the coast, the north was more "western" than the south.

The police take a very dim view of drugs other than alcohol and tobacco.

The food is fantastic especially the fish curries and the traditional Goan recipes (vindaloo (pork), Chicken Xacuti, Bebinca (desert), and Goan sausage pilau.

Telephone use and signal can be very poor but internet access is good and seems to be available nearly everywhere there is a cafe! (wifi).


I am looking forwards to getting out there again!

Brendan

Did a 3 week tour in August starting from Dehli up north to the Ladakh district. Did all of the highest passes including Kardungla (twice) on a Royal Enfeild Bullet. They are tough and well adapted to the terrain, although lacking in suspension. Great trip with beautiful scenery and friendly people. The only negative point I can say is about the pollution. Too bad people don't seem to be educated about rubbish disposal.Garbage is everywhere to be seen where humans are present. :(

India is a very famous country for its cultural importance and ethnic beauty. The best part of India is Kashmir. You should plan your journey to Kashmir. Agra is famous for The Taj. I hope you will enjoy your trip to India. If you need any road maps or travel videos of any country then visit Maps2Anywhere(dot)com.

Travel India first time
 

If you like hassle, beggars, con artists, inflated prices, and all of the other wonders of mass tourism, by all means make the golden triangle your first destination. Otherwise, plan and do some research on the multitude of wonders that country has in absolute abundance, and you'll be rewarded with experiences hard to find in any other part of the world.

Mollydog, the traffic and quality of driving in India is definitively some of the worst in the world. Traffic flow works a lot like Indian society, the bigger you are the more right you have. Being forced of the road by truck drivers and buses is just part of the normal reality of driving there. Lots of pollution and constant hazards make driving in India a very trying affair.

However, heading up to the mountains the landscape changes and I found cruising around up there much more enjoyable and not the harrowing experience it is on the plains. That said, doing your best to avoid the busy routes, I think touring India on an Enfield would be an unforgettable experience and a great way to visit rural India.

I completely agree on this. Driving in India is a very hectic thing, especially when there are trucks, buses and other big vehicles dominating the roads (which are also very bumpy for you).

Lots of population means jams, pollution, confusion in finding the "right" way to reach to your destination. You obviously needs a road map of India if you are visiting India for the first time.

I just came back to Canada after 4 months of living and working in Mumbai, India. I didn't do a lot of travelling, although I did drive to/from Pune, which is a large city nearby Mumbai.

India is certainly a unique country, very different from just about anywhere else, but honestly, I don't think it is the kind of place that would make for a 'relaxed' motorcycle tour. Traffic there is quite unlike anywhere else in the world, and roads are not well maintained.

I've toured every country in Europe west of Russia, and every country in North Africa west of Egypt, and spent many years living and working in sub-Saharan Africa. In the past 5 years, I've been to over 60 different countries, all of which means I'm no newbie to spending time in lesser developed countries and/or different cultures.

But, having said that, if I wanted to spend time touring India, I think I would take some kind of organized tour by train, rather than attempting to do it by motorcycle.

Michael

We just returned from Indie. We got our 110cc Hondas in Goa for 4 Dollars per Day and went for a fantastic 3000km ride south (himalaya region is too cold during winter) with our tent ans sleeping bags while most of the tourists never ride further then 10 km away from their hotel:

Dharavi Slums in der indischen 18 Millionenstadt Mumbai ehemals Bombay

Incredible India
 

I spent 6½ weeks biking (2-up) around India last year. WHAT an emotional roller-coaster ride it all was?! Covered around 9,000 km [5½k + miles], mainly in-and-around the north and north-west of the country .. and barely scratched the surface of what the sub-Continent has to offer.

One minute you're in love with India; by lunchtime you HATE the f**kin' place; by dusk you're back in deepest love with it all again. Then you wake-up the next morning .. with the worst dose of the sh!ts you've ever had! :oops2:

Wash - rinse - repeat.

@ mollydog: Go there and buy a decent Royal Enfield Bullet. You above all people here will recognise and know a good one when you see it. There are thousands to choose from. Easy to repair and work on; spare parts everywhere .. and dealerships and RE mechanics on every corner of every street in every town and city throughout. Experience India in true Indian style .. on a Bullet. :mchappy:

When your trip is over, sell the darn thing for what you can get .. or simply give it away to someone you feel deserves it; there will be plenty of takers.

Incredible India:

Wow! Fantastic video!
The India board of tourism should be paying you for your work! Great inspiration!

bier

Guys, there is a delightful story about driving/riding in India posted on Quartz today - it tells the truth. Here's the link:

Never mind the cows and the traffic lights: everything you need to know about driving in India - Quartz

Michael

Guys, your comments remind me of a story told to me by a taxi driver in Delhi around 9 years ago...

We were talking about traffic in India, generally, and he mentioned that he had a number of friends from overseas living locally who are considering driving, themselves. He was asked by them what they needed to do so. His answer was:

"My friends, you need three things. A good horn; good brakes... and good luck!"

As mentioned previously, India is a place of contrasts in the extreme. Just go there and enjoy..! :mchappy:

I am very positive of traveling in India. Yes the traffic might be a bit confusing but you'll get used to it. I stayed in the area between Mumbai, Pune and Goa with locals. Very friendly, good food, lot's to see when you go inside the country. It's worth going there and just traveling around without a special goal to see something.