India Travel

Tour operators in Australia and New Zealand

Related Properties from Gurgaon

Getting there from Australia & New Zealand

There are no nonstop flights to India from either Australia or New Zealand; you have to make at least one change of plane in a Southeast Asian hub city (usually Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Bangkok). The choice of routes and airlines is bewildering, and most agents will offer you a combination of two or more carriers to get the best price. Bear in mind when you're shopping around which city you want to fly into; your point of arrival may well affect your eventual itinerary, and there's no point in saving a few dollars on the cost of an air ticket

Travellers’ Medical and Vaccination Centre

Australia; Level 7,428 George St, Sydney 02/9221 7133; Level 2,393 Little Bourke St, Melbourne 03/9603 5788; Level 6,29 Gilbert Place, Adelaide 08/8212 7522; Level 6,247 Adelaide St, Brisbane 07/3221 9066; 5 Mill St, Perth 08/9321 1977. New Zealand: 1/170 Oueen St 09/373 3531; 6 Washington Way, Christchurch 03/379 4000. General info/health line: it 1902/261 560 (Australia). Inoculations/medications, area-specific advice, list of English-speaking doctors in India, first-aid/medical kits and post-travel examinations. A full rundown of their branches, along with general travellers' health advice.

Australia and New Zealand

Auckland Hospital, Park Road, Grafton 09/797440. General traveller health advice. Travel-Bug Medical and Vaccination Centre, 161 Ward St, North Adelaide 08/8267 3544.Consultations, inoculations, first-aid/medical kits, post-travel examinations. Travellers' Immunization Service, 303 Pacific Hwy, Lind field, Sydney 02/9416 1348. Offers inoculations and general advice.

Book and map outlets in Australia and New Zealand

Mapland, 372 Little Bourke St, Melbourne, VIC3000 03/9670 4383 The Map Shop 16a Peel St, Adelaide. SA 500008/8231 2033 Perth Map Centre 884 Hay St, Perth, WA 6000308/9322 5733 Speciality Maps 58 Albert St. Auckland 3)09/307 2217 Travel Bookshop Shop 3,175 Liverpool St, Sydney, NSW 2000 302/9261 8200 Worldwide Maps and Guides 187 George St. Brisbane, OLD 4000 07/3221 4330 Mapworld, 173 Gloucester Street, Chnstchurch 303/374 5399, fax 03/374 5633,

Packages and organized tours

A large number of operators run package holidays to India, covering such activities as trekking and safaris as well as sightseeing and sunbathing. Specialist minority-interest tours range from steam locomotives and war history to religion and food. Even if you book a general sightseeing tour, most firms have a good range of options, usually including the "Golden Triangle" of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur; a tour of Rajasthan; or a southern tour taking in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kochi. Some also offer wildlife tours; the Palace on Wheels train journey; take in Nepal or Bhutan; or have various combinations of all

Arranging a trek or tour and hiring equipment for Leh Ladakh

Leh offers a bewildering number of operators for the large volume of tourists who come to Ladakh to trek. Most trek and tour operators offer much the same services sharing much the same resources. Although trekking rates are quite uniform, you can get some cheaper deais on items such as porterage and pony hire by shopping around. You can also rent equipment either through the chosen agency or through places like the Traveller Shop, White House, Fort Road (01982/53048). Expect to pay Rs100 a day for a tent, Rs70 for a sleeping bag, Rs30 for a gas stove and Rs40

Restricted areas and permits in Ladakh

Much of Ladakh is still inaccessible to the casual tourist, but with the easing of tensions along the border between India and China, parts of this incredible land, once hidden behind the political veil of the "Inner Line", are being opened up. Three areas in particular were opened to visitors in the mid-1990s: the Nubra Valley bordering the Karakoram Range to the north of Leh; the area around Pangong Tso- the lake to the east of Leh; and the region of Rupshu with the lake of Tso Moriri: to the southeast of Leh. (Dha Hanu in west Ladakh was similarly

City transport and tours of Khajuraho in Madhy Pradesh

Khajuraho is no more than an overgrown cluster of villages, without public transport, and visitors are dependent on the various rented vehicles in competition with each other. Taxis and rental cars are available at the main square; through Raja Cafe, or from operators such as the reliable Sanjay Jain of the Hotel Jain (07686/72352), Khajuraho Tours (07686/72343)', in the Maqbara building, or Travel Bureau (07686/74037). on Jain Temples Road, near the square. Typical costs are Rs500 for half a day, and Rs600 plus Rs5 per km for longer journeys. Cycle rickshaw drivers ask around Rs30 per hour; trips to the

Pangong Tso in Ladakh

Pangong Tso. 154km to the southeast of Leh, is one of the largest saltwater lakes in Asia, a long narrow strip of water stretching from Ladakh east into Tibet, Only a quarter of the 130-kilometre-long lake is in Ladakh, and the Indian army, who experienced bitter losses along its shores in the war against China in 1962, jealously guard their side of the frontier. Until the mid-1990s, it was off limits to visitors, and tourists still need a permit to come here. The lake, at an altitude of 4267m. with the dramatic glacier-clad Pangong Range to its south and the

Visas and red tape

Gone are the days when Commonwealth nationals could stroll visa-less into India and stay for as long as they pleased: now everybody needs a visa, except citizens of Nepal and Bhutan. If you're going to India on business or to study, you'll need to apply for a special student or business visa, otherwise a standard tourist visa will suffice. These are valid for six months from the date of issue (not of departure from your home country or entry into India), and cost e30/US$60/ CDN$62/A$55/NZ$55. As you're asked to specify whether you need a single-entry or a multiple-entry visa, and the

Travel agents and tour operators in Delhi

NB; Booking flights and excursions through street-side touts, particularly along Janpath, is not recommended, even if they claim to be "government recognized". For the issue or renewal of ISIC cards, head to STIC, opposite Imperial Hotel. American Express, A-Block. Connaught Place: expensive, tailor-made tours of the capital, and sites further afield - card-holders only; Cox and Kings, Indira Palace, Connaught Place: international operators offering expensive and exclusive tailor-made tours; Don't Pass Me By Tours and Travels, 79 Scindia House, nr Janpath: reliable and inexpensive tour operator specializing in road trips to Agra and through Rajasthan: Hans Travel Service, 1600 Visha!

Consulates in Calcutta

Consulates Australia, 19 Netaji Subhas Rd; Bangladesh, 9 Circus; Indonesia, Mukti Chambers, Ground Floor, 4 Clive Row; Nepal, 1 National Library Ave, Alipore; Philippines. Industry House, 19th Floor, 10 Camac Street; Singapore, 7/1 Lord Sinha Rd: Sri Lanka, Nicco House, 2 Hare St; Thailand, 12B Mandeville Gardens; UK, 1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani: USA, 5/1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani.

Practicalities of Rishikesh in Uttaranchal

Far more visitors arrive in Rishikesh by road or rail than at the airport, 18km west. The Main Bus Stand, used by Haridwar and Dehra Dun government buses, as well as direct services to and from Delhi (6hr), is on Bengali Road, close to the centre; buses for the Garhwal hills use the Yatra Bus Stand, also known as the Tehri Bus Stand, off the Dehra Dun Road. Rishikesh is at the end of a small branch railway line, served by trains to and from Haridwar. Advance reservations can be made from the station, which only has a small quota

City and regional tours in Delhi

The Government of India tourist office, 88 Janpath, organizes a/c bus tours of New Delhi (daily 8am-1pm; Rs147) and Old Delhi (daily 2.15pm-5pm; Rs126), and a combined tour of Old and New Delhi (8am-5pm; Rs231). All start at ITDC Indraprastha, Janpath (see p.108); their tailor-made packages including a guide cost Rs950 for a whole day. Tours are also available to Agra, Jaipur and Haridwar/Rishikesh. Similarly, along with long-distance tours, the DTTDC, Bombay Life Building, Middle Circle also offer city tours: their half-day tour costs Rs95 and Rs110 while the whole-day tour option is Rs180/Rs210. The Metropolis Hotel in Paharganj, amongst

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary Getting to Periyar in kerala

The pothole-filled road that winds through the undulating hills up to Kumily from Ernakulam and Kottayam makes for a very long, slow drive, but it gives wonderful views across the Ghats. The route is dotted with grand churches among the trees, and numerous jazzy roadside shrines to St Francis, St George or the Virgin Mary - a charming Keralan blend of ancient and modern. Once you've climbed through the rubber-tree forests into Idukki District, the mountains get truly spectacular, and the wide-floored valleys are carpeted with lush tea and cardamom plantations. Travellers heading for the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary have first

Arrival, information and local transport in Ladak

A taxi from Leh airport, 5km southwest of town on the main Snnagar highway, will set you back a fixed fare of around Rs80 to the bazaar, or Rsl25 to Changspa where many of the town's hotels are located. State and private buses pull into the dusty town bus stand, fifteen minutes' walk, or a short taxi ride (Rs30), south of the bazaar and most of the hotels. Manali buses terminate on Fort Road, within easy walking distance of several hotels. J&KTDC's tourist reception centre (Mon-Sat 10am-4pm-§01982/52094), 3km from the bazaar on the airport road, is too far out of town

Packages and organized tours

Wrapping India up into a tidy package makes it less daunting and more comprehensible for many first-time tourists. A tour company can also shield you from the subcontinent's many little frustrations, enabling you to cover more ground than if you were going it alone. Of course, you'll have to be prepared to forgo independence and spontaneity, and accept that there will be only fleeting and predominantly mercenary encounters with local people, " Tours of India work best when they focus on one region of the country, or when based on an activity or a special interest, A fairly

Practicalities for Daulatabad (Deogiri) in Maharashtra

If you're not on a guided tour, it's recommended that you hire a guide (Rs80) as the passages of the fort are pitch-black and hopelessly confusing otherwise. Although Daulatabad features on the MTDC guided tour of Ellora from Aurangabad (see p.796), you'll have more time to enjoy it by travelling there on one of the hourly shuttle buses between Aurangabad and the caves. From Daulatabad, it is easy to catch another bus onto Khuldabad and Ellora. The stop is directly opposite the main entrance to the fort, beside the string of chai and souvenir stalls and the good, small MTDC-run

Practicalities to the Mussoorie in Uttaranchal

As Mussoorie's two-kilometre-long Mall is closed to motor vehicles during the tourist season, its two ends - the Library area at the west end, and the Kulri area in the east - serve as distinct transport hubs. Buses and shared taxis from Dehra Dun (about Rs50), the plains and the rest of Garhwal arrive either at the Library Bus Stand at Gandhi Chowkh, or the Kulri or Masonic Lodge Bus Stand. At the smaller Tehri Bus Stand, east of Landour 5km from the Mall, buses pull in from Tehri, Chamba and points east. Shared taxis and cars are available at

Tiger Hill in North Bengal

Jeeps and taxis packed with tourists leave from Clubside in Darjeeling around 4am each morning, careering 12km through Ghoom and the woodlands to catch the sunrise at TIGER HILL. This incredible viewpoint (2585m) provides an unparalleled 360° Himalayan panorama, with the steamy plains bordering Bangladesh to the south, the Singalila Range with Everest beyond to the west, Kanchenjunga and Sikkim to the north, and the Bhutan and Assam Himalayas trailing into the distance to the northeast. From left to right, the peaks include: Lhotse (which actually looks larger than Everest); Everest itself; Makalu; then, after a long gap, the rocky