>>> -You can spend about $20-$30/day. You can find cheap places w/o
>>If you spend $20 a day in India, you are definately not travelling cheap.
>>I spent about $5-6 a day, and then I had lots of splurges. A normal day
>>with a short bus- or traintrip, cheap but good hotel and three Indian
>>meals would probably cost as little as $3.
>
>When was that?! I don't think it is possible to go on $5-6 a day
>anymore. Even the cheapest hotel rooms now cost around $10 in a
>typical indian city.
It depends a lot on which hotel and which city you are at. There are hotels rated 3-stars which I think are comparable to Best Western chain of hotels in the US. There are 5-star hotels which are the top of the line (comparable to Marriott, Hilton? I have never been to one). For most travellers, it might not seem worthwhile to spend every night in a 5-star hotel. 5-star hotel rooms cost at least $50 in Delhi, Madras and Calcutta and at least $75 in Bombay while the hotel facilities are almost the same. 3-star hotels cost at least $25 per day (24 hours). (cheaper and cheaper as the cities are smaller and smaller). (Bangalore is also in the category of large metropolis) At each place of stay, get information about the hotel ratings at the local enquiry counter (airport, bus station or railway station).
Personal opinion: Don't spend money on hotels! Spend the money on purchasing local hand-made items and food! I read an article which said that the person spent $75 a day in Bombay. I would choose to spend that money in purchasing a marble miniature of Taj Mahal for $50, for instance.. There is absolulely nothing wrong in losing some kind of luxury in India when you are a tourist for a limited number of days. Make Indian friends and stay with them at home.
(As it is, there is a shortage of hotel rooms in India and the hotel room rent is going to increase soon as there is more demand.)
Subject: Agra hotel.
From: tm@neosoft.com (Trade Mission)
Date: 29 Jul 95
We stayed at the Momtaz, a mid priced air conditioned hotel within a (long) walk of the Taj. Fairly modern and not much atmosphere but comfortable.
Subject: Agra hotel: Mughal Sheraton.
From: jutom@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
Date: 18 Sep 95
The Mughal Sheraton has a rooftop viewing place that give a distant but clear view of the Taj. The hotel is in the cantonment area of Agra.
Subject: Agra hotels with view to the Taj Mahal.
From: hvos@nipg.tno.nl (Henk Vos)
Date: 18 Sep 95
There is no such thing a 'a hotel with a view of the taj' in Agra, some rooms have a view of the taj, other rooms are blocked by some building. You should go to the Taj-Ganj district, and see for yourself. Most hotels have a roof terrace, with a lovely Taj-view. There is no such hotel where all the rooms have a Taj-view.
If you need more info dont hesitate to email.
Subject:
From: "QUAD-SI (Pty) Ltd" <quad@iafrica.com>
You may be interested in this info which someone sent me:
>Undoubtedly, the best travel agent in India, and one of the friendliest >people you are ever likely to meet, is Rayomand Elavia. He runs Orient >Tours at 13, Cama Chambers, 2nd Fl; 23, Meadow St; Bombay-400 023. >(tel:265 37 78; FAX:91-22-2080404) I have used him 3 times in the past, >and always his arrangements were flawless. If you send him an itinerary >and budget range (he does great budget tours) he'll put together a >customized tour complete with cars and drivers.
Also, we were told that Sheetal Lodge in Agra is a good place to stay -- clean rooms with bathroom -- and a view of the Taj Mahal -- Rs.100 per night.
Thanks, Radha.
Subject: Agra hotels.
Date: 26 Sep 95
From: Martin Gersten <102034.3545@compuserve.com>
We don't know any other hotels in Agra. Many hotels in India have high rates for foreigners and very low rates fro Indians. Try to get an Indian friend to make the deal for you at the hotel. Also, the hotels frequently have packages at low-cost. We stayed at the Rajputana Palace Hotel in Jaipur for only $30 per night, although their regular foreigner rate was $150. My brother-in-law had to fight with the manager over the rate, but they relented after a while. They had a 'Long Break' rate and a 'Short Break' rate, but only for Indians. His argument was that HE WAS INDIAN and he was making the reservations for us.
There are a lot of beggars outside the Taj. We hired one kid to carry our infant around all day.
......
Subject:
regarding places to visit in india, you can always go the touristy places like Agra, Khajuraho, rajasthan, etc. but you may also consider the following, in case time permits:
in south india: pondicherry (150 km south of madras. it is a former french colony. has an interesting french quarter. auroville, nearby, is touted as an international township, and indeed has residents from many countries. it is a town that was built by the followers of the philosopher sri aurobindo. interesting place.)
kodaikanal is a place you may want to go to to take a break from the heat in the plains of south india. beautiful.
the state of kerala is beautiful (including good beaches (kovalam)).
mysore, and the road trip from there to ooty (or ootacamund) is also great.
of course, goa is probably on your list already.
north india:
if you like trekking, the mountains in the states of uttar pradesh, himachal pradesh, sikkim should not be missed.
ladakh is a place i've never been to but would like to go someday.
if you're the adventurous type, you may keep north-east india in mind (the part of india that lies to the north and east of bangladesh). not many people go there; facilities are limited; as a foreigner you need a government permit; but it is unspoilt. meghalaya and arunachal pradesh are especially beautiful as is the kaziranga national park (in assam).
(ps: also try posting on rec.travel.asia. you may get useful hints from the foreigner's perspective.)
PS Another suggestion: Make a reservation in advance for your first night's stay. After the *long* flight there (unless you're an Australian) and the jet lag, and the fact that most planes arrive at 4 am and then you have to stand in a long customs line and then you have to be firm enough to avoid paying 3 times the usual taxi fare; after all that you don't want to be looking around for a place to stay or to find that the place you wanted to stay was full up do it being an auspicious day for weddings (this actually happened to us later on).
Now I remember a couple other good places to stay. Both of these are medium price (for India, cheap for us). We flew into New Delhi airport, and has reservations at the Ranjit Hotel the first night. It has a coffee shop (so to speak) and a restaurant as well as a little shop that has toiletries, etc that you may have forgotten, and a nice little bar where we met some Australian TV documentary people. It was bigger than most places we stayed at in India (although FAR from being a giant 5-star $175 Hotel), but it was perfect for the first couple of nights, for example, the coffee shop had Western-style breakfast available -- breakfast is one meal where it can be nice to have food you are used to, especially to start with. The Ranjit Hotel's big advantage is that it is right on the border between Old Delhi and New Delhi...
The other hotel recommendation is the Hotel Gautam in Varanasi. Actually, Varanasi is probably a must, it is the center of the Hindu religion, don't miss going to the ghats on the Ganges River. Anyway, the Hotel Gautam is not particularly big at all, but despite that had a little restaurant, which (* at the time *) had the best food we had anywhere in India. Also, it also has Western-style bathrooms with modern fixtures, which was a nice luxury after dealing with ceramic holes in the ground at train stations, etc.
Again, the above info might be somewhat out of date, check the books.
I enjoy writing these messages, visiting India was a unique experience that I enjoy recalling...
Subject: Luxury hotels in Delhi.
From: tm@neosoft.com (Trade Mission)
Date: 29 Jul 95
> >Personally I love the Imperial, in Connaught Circus. It's an older hotel, >and a bit worn around the edges; but I think the atmosphere is great and >the location couldn't be more convenient.
>
>John Child
I agree. I give the Imperial a thumbs up.
There is an atmosphere to the older hotels that the Hilton class can't match. Also, the Imperial is just a short walk from the center.
Subject: Luxury hotels in Delhi.
From: muzzy@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Sanjoy Majumder)
Date: 29 Jul 95
... ...
>> THe best hotels if you are staying in Delhi are definitely the Maurya >> Sheraton and the Hyatt. No questions about it.. I have lived
>> in Delhi for the past three years and I know what I am talking about.
>
>I wouldn't argue, if the criteria are best rooms and service. However... >They're both a long away from "the sights".
>
>Personally I love the Imperial, in Connaught Circus. It's an older hotel, >and a bit worn around the edges; but I think the atmosphere is great and >the location couldn't be more convenient.
>
Well these are all expensive hotels. However if you are willing to spend $25-30 a night and want atmosphere then 2 hotels that I recommend highly are the Claridges in Aurangzeb road and the Oberoi Maidens in the Civil Lines area near the Red Fort. They are charming hotels, quiet, not too glitzy and with very nice food.
Subject: Luxury hotels in Delhi.
From: stuart@pephousing.win-uk.net (Stuart Dixon)
Date: 30 Jul 95
... ...
>>> THe best hotels if you are staying in Delhi are definitely the Maurya
>>> Sheraton and the Hyatt. No questions about it.. I have lived
>>> in Delhi for the past three years and I know what I am talking about.
I agree, I'd go as far as saying try and stay in the Maurya just 'cos its so good! I think time mag. said that it ahs the best indian restaurant in the world - the food is certainly excellent. Overall it must be up there as one of the world's best - architecture great too - if you like that sort of thing.
>Well these are all expensive hotels. However if you are willing to spend >$25-30 a night and want atmosphere then 2 hotels that I recommend highly are >the Claridges in Aurangzeb road and the Oberoi Maidens in the Civil Lines area >near the Red Fort. They are charming hotels, quiet, not too glitzy and with >very nice food.
The Claridges is very underrated and better than the Imperial - though not as convenient.
Subject: Accomodation in Delhi.
From: Rochelle Follender <follend@cpcug.org>
Date: 30 Jul 95
The Ringo Hotel is about the cheapest in New Delhi--$3-4 per night; $6 for a private room with toilet and shower. It has a great location--in an alley off Connought Circle. Right in the middle of all the night action.
Harvey Follender
Subject: Accomodation in Delhi.
From: jtlewis@cix.compulink.co.uk ("John Lewis")
Date: 31 Jul 95
My favourite was Mrs.Colaco's, No.3 Janpath Lane, just off Connaught Circus. Any one know whether it is still there ?.
Subject: Accomodation in Delhi.
From: Michael.Lerner@fsa.ulaval.ca (Michael Lerner)
Date: 1 Aug 95
Which YMCA are you going to stay at? (As I remember, there are more than one.) I stayed at one with my sister when we traveled there in 1991. We had also gotten the name from the LP book (where it was listed as a middle category lodging), and had also made advance reservations.
Having the reservations was nice, as Delhi is a bit chaotic, and the last thing that I would have wanted was to look for accomodation at 2:00 am when we arrived. However, the place itself was not that great -especially not for the proce -- and after a few days we switched to someplace that was more "basic" but also more comfortable, cleaner and cheaper.
The restaurant at the YMCA was surprisingly good though, and since breakfast was included, everyone ate there. And so it was wonderful for meeting people from all over (Indian and non-Indian) and having some very interesting conversations...
Subject: Re: Renting a house in Goa for x-mas
From: mikeb@innotts.co.uk (Mike )
Date: 8 Aug 95
>We will be travelling to Goa in September, in order to reserve a house to
Head away from the main resorts. North to Arambol (Harmal) where there are basic cottages for rent for a couple of dollars a day, just off the beach, or south to Palolem where it is even more basic. The cost of living can be as low as you like - or as high if you go to the resort hotels.
If you are looking for a little more comfort then check out the stretch on the north coast between Anjuna and Chapora, where there is a bit more action. Stay well away from Calangute/Baga and Colva, where you will be in the middle fo the tourist resort areas, although Baga makes an excellent place for the occasional return to civilisation though!
Subject: Bombay hotels.
From: TDRT02A@prodigy.com (Judith Sylte)
Date: 5 Sep 95
We were there on sabbatical earlier this year and here's the info from my Bombay notes:
"Everyone warned us about the difficulty of getting hotel rooms in central Bombay, especially moderate ones. Several hotels we faxed from home didn't even respond, so we took the only one that did -- Hotel Apollo, 22 Lansdowne Road, Apollo Bunder, Colaba, Bombay 400039. Fax (9122) 287-1592, phone 202-0223. Recommended in several travel guides. It turned out to be a passable but somewhat rundown hotel in an excellent location, just off the main street and a block from the harborside Gateway of India. Paid only Rs. 1150 = US $37/nt + tax and svc. It wouldn't be our first choice for a return, but since the mgmt owns three hotels close by, it's worth keeping in mind if you're having trouble finding an affordable room.
When we returned to Bombay later we stayed at Hotel Regent, 8 Best Road, Colaba / Bombay 400 039, phone (91-22) 287-1854, fax 202-0363, which we had scouted out on our earlier visit. Location is even better, right behind the grand old Taj Hotel, and we liked it much better -- rooms more comfortable and well maintained, though a little homely in that atmospheric, slightly dowdy British way you encounter all over India.
For central Bombay, $45/nt is a real bargain. Many Saudi and Kuwaiti families.
We loved the popular and cheap Leopold Hotel Cafe & Bar nearby -- good Indian, Chinese and Western food at all hours, wonderful fresh juices and fruit lassis. It's deservedly famous among budget travelers, and always crowded elbow to elbow with an interesting mix of locals and vagabonds of every age, color and tongue. A primo people-watching spot, since the folding doors are always open to the sidewalk outside, where a fascinating pedestrian parade goes by nonstop."
... ...
Subject: Bombay hotels.
From: RDuncan <RDuncan@mindlink.bc.ca>
Date: 5 Sep 95
Like the previous poster, I can also recommend the Hotel Apollo in Bombay. I was there earlier this summer, and got a decent, clean, bug-free room for around $35.
In addition to the Leopold Cafe, The Cafe Mondegar, nearby, is a nice place to have a pitcher of beer with friends and hang out.
In that area, the lobby of the Taj Mahal Hotel is a wonderful break from the heat and intensity of Bombay -- a browse in the bookstore or a coffee in the coffee shop is well worth the "price of admission".
Back in Bombay, on the way home, I confess we whipped out the credit card and mortgaged our futures with a couple of nights at the Taj Mahal Hotel. It was as nice as a hotel can be, but I really can't see any place being worth $250 for a night's sleep!
Subject: Accomodation in Bombay, Delhi and Agra.
From: FiHP@aol.com
Date: 2 Sep 95
Bombay and Delhi are both expensive cities, even by world standards. In Delhi it is the diplomatic and government visitors who push up room prices; in Bombay it is arab visitors.
In both places I would suggest booking the first night at a "better" hotel and then scouting around the next morning for a less expensive place. You can look at a room at several places before deciding, if you want.
Bombay - The Taj Intercontinental is spectacularly located, and there are several less expensive places nearby. The Godwin Hotel and Garden Hotel are both in the same area and are less expensive.
Delhi - You should stay in the Connaught Circle area, at either the Imperial or the Hotel Janpath (the th pronounced like a T). Look around from there. There are lots of choices in the area.
Agra - I really don't know. Unless you know you want to spend a long time in Agra, you can take the train there in the morning and back in the evening. That's enough time to see the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal, the two best sights there. But if you do stayover, it's worth going to Fatehpur Sikri, an amazing, abandoned city built in the 16th century. About 1 hour drive from Agra.
Subject: Hotel near Bombay domestic airport
From: muzzy@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Sanjoy Majumder)
Date: 1 Nov 95
> >Does anyone out there have any recommendations or otherwise for hotels
>near Bombay airport. We arrive at 11pm and fly straight out next morning.
There are three hotels that I know of (there could well be more). If you can afford it,the pick of the lot is the Leela Kempinski. But it is *very* expensive ($100 + a night). There is the Centaur near the domestic terminal but I would avoid it like the plague if I could. It is overpriced and shoddy.
The third hotel is the Airport Plaza which is cheaper and reasonably comfortable.
A little distance from the airport but only about a 20 min cab ride are more hotels: all at Juhu beach, they are the Centaur Juhu Beach, Holiday Inn, Ramada Inn Palm Grove, Sun n' Sand, Horizon and Seaview, in descending order of price with the last 2 being the cheapest.
Almost all of these hotels have a centralized booking counter at the airport so you can get hold of a room before you head out. Also some of them have free shuttle service from the airport to the hotel.
Sanjoy
Subject: Hotel near Bombay domestic airport
From: exushml@exu.ericsson.se (Shyamal Prasad)
Date: 2 Nov 95
In article <477ufq$rm6@spruce.citicorp.com> mayank.bhargava@citicorp.com (Mayank Bhargava) writes:
"Mayank" == Mayank Bhargava <mayank.bhargava@citicorp.com> writes:
Mayank> Andy Try Centaur Hotel, which is right next to the Mayank> Domestic Terminal. Telephone : 612-6660 Have a nice stay
Yes, the Centaur is walking distance from the old terminal, and just a little furthur from the new one. There are a bunch of hotels near the airports, the Leela probably being the best (and most expensive, >>US$100 a night). If you go across Western Express Highway from the Centaur there is another bunch of small hotels.
Basically, no shortage. The Centaur is close by, relatively expensive and pretty dingy though. For that price range I would stay at the Leela, which is a ten minute cab ride away.
Best bet would be to ask the Tourist counter at the terminal for hotels. I presume you are flying into Santa Cruz...or is it Sahar International? If it's the latter you could stay pretty much anywhere near any of the airports.
Cheers!
Shyamal
-- "Washing and Bathing in the crocodile infested river is prohibited.
Survivors will be prosecuted." - Sign in the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu, India.
I speak for me, only me, and just me......
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