Indian Easter

With all the talk about Britain's current Indian Summer providing some of the best weather in years i was reminded that i'd yet to write an post on my family holiday to India back in April.
For me it was a bit of an unusual holiday. When i was a kid we went to Alastair Sawday's special places, usually in Greece, often reduced to sunbathing and light sight-seeing since me and my sister (as teenage girls) would complain about needing a tan (sorry Mum). Now i holiday from my family separately, and always plan trips myself that involve beaches, cute towns, adventure and attractions; i thrive in the planning process and find it so exciting looking up holiday options to make the most out of the time. Point is, India was our first family trip in years, there was to be no beaches, limited pool time, continual early mornings and everything organised by a third party! What could go wrong!

The trip provider was Riviera Travel (click for a link to the full itinerary) and they did a spectacular job of finding some great sights that i'm glad i got to see. Places like Ranthambore safari park (although we didn't spot any Tigers), Fatehpur Sikri, staying up in the Himalayas and getting to the Taj Mahal early in the morning to miss the masses, passport in hand (which i would never had known i would need to attend).

India is huge and we barely saw a quarter of it but the places we did see were a great mix of city and country. Our tour-operator was an English lady who was incredibly friendly and helpful throughout, going as far as to arrange for us to see Elephants because it was my sister's personal mission on the holiday. Our tour-guide had fascinating insights into Indian culture; from his opinions on the evident poverty and jokes on the road to his personal story of his parents several attempts at arranging his marriage. India is a Smörgåsbord of colour and fascinating people where you spend most of your time turning your head to take photos of scenes you can barely believe. Historical sights are so lavish it's hard to believe the poverty that tends to wait outside them; although it can be daunting and upsetting at times it's comforting to know that the tourism industry you are funding continues to help those who remain residential to the country. Our tour guides brought street sellers on to the coach to sell us hand made crafts and souvenirs, bridging the gap between them and us where alone we would be confronted and discouraged by their pushy sales techniques. 

The food in the high quality hotels we stayed in was always incredible! I particularly remember the restaurant in the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi bringing out a lavish portable burner to our table and firing up some fresh breads to accompany our spread of delicacies.

Normally, i'm not a massive fan of tours because i like to take charge and change my plans to suit my mood; in my experience, whilst travelling, things never go to plan and it's better to bend to their will. Things were sometimes strained by this, and at times the child inside my sister just wanted to sunbathe and we resented the early mornings and the fact that we were both the youngest on the trip by about 40 years. Having said this, from being around the country i got the impression that India isn't as well equipped for tourists and travellers as other countries. I rarely saw hostels that looked hygienic or cheap food outlets that wouldn't have you spending the evening in the bathroom. Sleeping safely and eating hygienically was worth sacrificing some of my curiosity to walk aimlessly and natural independence.
Something about the insistent sellers and lack of tourist outlets makes me feel like expensive tours and organised trips are the only way to maximise what you see, unless the more prominent, richer cities like Bombay and Mumbai (which i didn't go to) are more tourist friendly. Fortunately, there are several other tour options that might cater to younger people with small budgets, places like Black Tomato and STA.

Whichever way you do it ready yourself for incredible food and relentless exasperation for an unforgettable experience in more ways than one. I'm hoping that India will become more accessible to tourists in a few years, something that usually comes with the experience of how to deal with us westerners. A little less staring would be great at the very least (people actually wanted to photograph ME more than the TAJ MAHAL) and i'll definitely return with my backpack and friends. My parents, on the other hand, have already booked a second trip to Kerala in southern India. I'll try to keep my envy to a minimum.