Indian trip

[dorisday]

I am off to India in the New Year. Any suggestions about clothing ect. Staying at nice hotels. Do I dress up or down in the evenings. Also visiting Taj Mahal. Any advice or tips

[cool breeze]

It will be well hot out there so take light airy clothes. If you are flying to Dehli you can buy all the clothes you need at the Pahra Gange (cant remember the correct spelling!) and i would reccommend a lond sleeve top for night time to protect yourself fropm those damn mosi's! I wouldn't plan to spend long in Agra (Taj Mahal home) as it's a hole but do try to get there early in the morning (5am ish) to see the sun come up and watch the Taj change colour but get there later and it will be mobbed by tourists. Also you are a wee train ride from Varanassi - one of the coolest places on the planet, bar none. Have a top time!

[cool breeze]

_a long sleeve top _from mosi's! Doh!

[geofbob]

Unless you're staying at stratospherically luxurious hotels, you'll find that people wear a range of gear; and having travelled fairly extensively in the tropics I would always recommend travelling light, and dressing for comfort. Natural fabrics, eg cotton and linen, are best, The main stem - ie the main pathway leading directly to the Taj - certainly gets crowded with tourists - ie people just like you, me and cool breeze! - but if you stray off into the gardens to the side you will find it much quieter, and you may even get a spot to yourself, from which to view this unique monument, before (or after) you actually go into it. Cool breeze is a little off the mark, or joking, with his "wee train ride" between Varanasi and Agra. It's about 300 miles, which in India could take about 10 hours, plus waiting time - we once waited about 7 hours for a train from Indore.

[cool breeze]

Alright alright, it was a wee exaggeration! But certainly worth the hassle! You can wait 3 hours just to get food served! If not isn't on your side maybe you shouldn't bother but Varanassi will blow you away! Go watch the movie Baraka and see what I mean.

[FTVS]

India is fab and I loved it - I think you should plan a whole day around the Taj ie see it at dawn, midday and sunset. As the above definitely light cotton clothes. Also remember that unless you want to be sneered at/ groped, long skirts/trousers/ modest tops are a must. Varanasi is a great place to visit but i have to say it is not really one for the unintiated! If you are in a dead poish otel then teher is no reason why you can't dress up in the evening but again I wouldn't suggest tottering around in a mini skirt and bustier!

[dorisday]

Thanks for all the tips. Really looking forward to it. D 8-)

[KARL]

If by the New Year you mean first half of January and you are travelling to the NW quarter of India then you should take with you some warmish clothing. It will be distinctly cool to cold in the evenings and overnight and except for upmarket hotels etc. you can expect interiors of all buildings to feel decidedly cold. It will be pleasant in the sun during the hight of the day. By late February or into March it will start to warm up very rapidly and by late March and into April it can feel uncomfortably hot at times. After that it will become increasingly hot until it touches 50 degrees Celsius in Rajasthan and bordering states. I speak from experience. Aim to dress modestly in public and generally comfortably for travel. Assuming you are going as a tourist, unless you are going to attend a fashion show or be among uppity westerners, you have no need at all for "dressing up" outfits, just aim to have "ordinary" (outdoors) and "better" (not showy) from your own wardrobe on hand to cover a small range of circumstances. Be prepared to totally ignore touts of all sorts - do not react to them, act as if they don't exist. Be sensibly careful with possessions and you will find it a fascinating place.

[beenee]

Lucky girl! All I would add here is that you should really take one or two nice, party outfits. New Year parties at nice hotels tend to be surprisingly posh and very lavish affairs with locals and tourists wearing very 'western' clothes that are not necessarily modest! A sleeveless, knee length dress/skirt would be absolutely fine. Come to think of it, if you're overly covered up (ankle length, long sleeved dress) you will probably feel quite dowdy compared to the locals who will have dressed rather skimpy! (personal experience of a new year's party at the Taj hotel in Bombay 2 yrs ago). Take a pretty pashmina with you to keep you warm outdoors though.

[dorisday]

I am now off out to try and buy a couple a long sleeved cheesecloth tops. And beenee, thanks for the advice on the pashminas. D