India

We went on a private tour and had a wonderful time, it took in places which the group tours don't usually. We went to the border crossing ceremony which was fabulous, the Golden Temple at Amritsar and Varanasi in addition to all the usual places. Our was organised by a local travel agent but we have also used Abercrombie and Kent to organise a private trip and they were excellent.

You don't have to go on a tour you could arrange the trip independently which will allow you to stay as long as you want.
India is a great country if you can see past the poverty.

Have just joined Gransnet. India is a wonderful place. Go every year. We go to north and south Goa. Very friendly people. We go for the relaxation, kingfisher beer and wonderful food. Always try for a 5 star hotel. Flight time is nine and half hours direct from Birmingham on a Dreamliner. GO FOR IT

We went with a tour company so stayed at good hotels and ate at them and restaurants recommended by the guide. We did not eat any of the ‘street food’. All bottled water. No tummy troubles.

I went earlier this year. Very interesting country. Vibrant, colourful, noisy, chaotic, litter strewn. I was ill. I got giardia and had diarrhoea for a month unfortunately.
Bloomrooms is a great chain of hotels. British standards of cleanliness _ bit like say Travelodge. It's a good idea to keep to a veggie diet as it will decrease your risks of picking up food poisoning.

Where I was you definitely couldn't drink the tap water. even for brushing your teeth.
They have a sort of electronic system for purifying the water now, but even so..... worth enquiring about.
I once had a tummy upset but had taken various meds. with me, prescribed by my GP 'just in case.'
You should have some injections before you go. Google Travel vaccinations.

It depends which hotels you book, but all the ones i stayed in were of international standard with western toilet/bathrooms. Clean and impeccable service. No illness, but i didnt drink the water and only ate in reputable restaurants.
The only thing i found was the fact that the indian visa is charged as per nationality now and Brits are charged the most!
If you do the Golden Trangle its best to fly to New Delhi and start from there. I would reccomend a hotel called 'claridges' there, not your usual Intercontinental type hotel and not like the one in London, but away from the main bustle of the city and really lovely.

~We diodnt get the dreaded Dehli Belly but must admit we only ate in the hotels and then we went veggie as had heard meat can sometimes be a bit doubtful.The hotels were beautiful with all usual bathroom facilities including a hose to wash underneath if you wished. The toilets on the way to different places were a bit more basic but i was surprised how easy they were to use, take your own tissue though or use the hose that is there to clean yourself if necessary. We also packed panty liners in case of accidents but thankfully we never needed them.

Thanks for the responses, seems like it’s a hit with you all. It is an exciting destination; we have all seen the marigold etc films and tv programmes. Couple more questions.
Did any of you get ill while you were there? I have heard it’s not uncommon. Are the hotels esp. the bathrooms, generally to western standards? I would have a problem with the squatting type wc’s..... hm, too much information perhaps. Apologies and thanks for anything further anyone can add, it’s exciting but I still feel a bit nervous about going.

I've been there twice, younger son lives and works there. In Tamil Nadhu. I'd love to go again but can't face the journey now.
Goa would be OK though, I think you can get a direct flight.
Feb/March is a good time to go. they're having the monsoon at the moment.

I echo Ginny i loved it but there is a lot of travelling with the Golden Triangle and early morning starts which can be tiring but you always nod off in the coach.I loved India with a passion and am desperate to go back again.I would go south if i did, along the coast as the Triangle is all about cities really. GO you wont regret it and in the words of Stephanie Beecham from Marigold hotel on BBC1 recently ' India is noise, India is chaos, India is possiblity, India is Life!!!'

It depends what you want.
Ive been to a fabulous Ayurvedic hotel in Kerala. Very calm, relaxing in fantastic scenery.
Ive done the Golden Triangle arranged through an Indian Travel company who booked all hotels and we had our own tour guide/driver throughout. Fabulous to see the majesty of the three cities and wonderful countryside.
And i stayed in Mumbai in the Taj Palace, a frantic exhilarating city with such history.
There are so many contrasts in India, you have to be prepared to see beauty and despair.
If there was one place i would love to go back to...it would be India.

Yes, we did a similar trip as Ginny. Kuoni organised it and it was fantastic. I would love to go again, but there was a lot of coach, rail and air trips involved, and couldn't cope now.

We have done a ‘Golden Triangle ‘ tour. Best holiday yet. Yes, the travelling is tiring but there is something different around every corner.
You may have to close your eyes to a few thing but the people, the colour, the culture and the food are all fabulous.

We love South Goa and have been more than 10 times. South Goa is quieter than North Goa and suits us better. The reason that we have now stopped going is the Indian weddings. They are spectacular but go on for days and are very noisy.

The food is fantastic and I feel very safe there (unlike The Gambia, which I hated).

My husband wants to do a tour of India but I have asthma and don't think I could cope with the cities.