fter Oman, the plan was to go to India and Sri Lanka; however, I did not know which one I would visit first as there were two routes I could take – one starting north and going south or the opposite direction from south to north. I began researching flight deals from Oman to both India and Sri Lanka a few days before I decided to leave and came upon a great business class fare on Eithad to Delhi that included a free 2-night stopover in Abu Dhabi for the same price as an economy flight with a hotel via Dubai. I had heard great things about Eithad’s business class so it was a no brainer to book it and start with India.
The flight from Muscat to Abu Dhabi was only 1 hour, but Eithad came through in a big way with a dedicated check in and security area and a new and modern plane. They even served a ‘snack’ during the flight which was a chicken sandwich. Now, being from the US, when the attendant says it is a chicken sandwich you expect a pre-packaged hum drum snack, especially on a one-hour flight. The sandwich was certainly not hum drum – a delightful piece of fresh grilled chicken served in a tiny pretzel bun with a side of shrimp bruschetta, grape leaves, tabouli salad and even a desert! Needless to say, I could not wait to see what the longer flight had in store for me.
After landing and navigating the somewhat hectic Abu Dhabi airport it was on to my Eithad designated free stopover hotel, the Premier Inn Capital Centre. I was a little skeptical about the quality of the hotel after reading the online reviews, however, I was pleasantly surprised by how modern, clean and comfortable the hotel was. While it wasn’t the Four Seasons it was absolutely a great place for a quick stop over. As it was almost 10 pm when I arrived, it was a quick check in and off to bed for me before my one full day in Abu Dhabi.
There is no shortage of activities to choose from in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but I had limited time and two of the things I wanted to do in Abu Dhabi – a race car driving experience and Ferrari World rooftop walk were unavailable on Tuesdays (my actual full day in the city), so I decided to hop on a bus and explore Dubai instead. Buses to Dubai leave every 20 minutes from Abu Dhabi’s main bus station and the 2 hour ride is only $10.00 each way.
You can choose to get off at one of two bus stops in Dubai from Abu Dhabi – one located at the near end of the city or one closer to the center. For the ride in, I choose to get off at the central station as I could see some of Dubai’s highlights and it dropped me off next to the metro where I could continue my ‘tour’ via train, for a fraction of the cost of a private tour. After the bus dropped me off, I rode the metro to all the way to the Souk and marina and was able to get a clear view of sights along the ride like the Dubai frame – which looks almost unreal in person!
After a quick breakfast the next day I grabbed a taxi and was off to the airport. A side note – taxis are cheaper than Uber in Abu Dhabi and most take cards, so it is a good option for private transportation. I had done my research on India’s eVisa process five days before my flight as not only is the application process quite lengthy and slightly confusing but approvals are not instantaneous. I received my letter of approval within 36 hours and ensured to take screen shots of all the approvals and letter, which was perfect as at the check in desk in Abu Dhabi they had to input all of my eVisa information in their system before I could even check in. The desk representative said that there were definitely many instances where people do not get their eVisa ahead of time because they think they can get one on arrival and end up not being able to board the flight!
After going through the private check in and security areas reserved for Business and first-class passengers, I went to check out the Eithad business class lounge. Based on my first flight experience I expected to be ‘wowed’ with the lounge; however, it turned out to be a bit of a letdown. While the space was clean and new, it had VERY limited seating, was almost fully packed with passengers and only offered mostly Indian food selections. Perhaps the separate first-class lounge had more to offer, but this factor disappointed me, especially comparing it with other competitors, like Turkish Air. Soon it was time to board my flight and while the lounge disappointed, my second plane ride did not, as I had my own individual suite and all the other expected goodies like full meal service with 3 course options, hot towels and superb facilities. Overall, I would say I got a fantastic deal on Eithad and give them high marks.
I arrived in New Delhi, India around 7pm to a surprisingly empty customs and immigration area and I was at bag claim in less than 30 minutes. In usual fashion, I had arranged for my accommodations to pick me up at the airport and the car was waiting for me. Traffic in New Delhi was on par with Cairo and the peace of Oman was soon a distant memory with the endless horn honking and no lane ‘rules.’
My hotel was actually a homestay in the Greater Kalish district of Delhi, a somewhat upscale, residential area of the city. I was new to the concept of homestays, which are essentially bed and breakfasts where the owners live and rent out space in their homes. A homestay in India cannot be larger than 6 rental rooms or it is classified as a hotel and subject to different financial rules. The homestay I chose had a decently central location and high ratings online and I figured I couldn’t go wrong with it for $45/night. From the minute I arrived I knew I made a fantastic choice as my room was actually huge with a couch, desk, fridge and a private bathroom. The host himself was also a genuine delight, waiting outside to greet and help me with my bags and driving me around the neighborhood, showing me where I could eat and shop for groceries.
As a country to visit, India has mixed reviews, but I wanted to see for myself what it was all about and couldn’t wait to dive into it. After a great night of sleep, I chose to start off my immersion with a city/food tour. I know it was a bit risky, but I just could not resist the appeal of the highly rated Old Delhi city and food tour offered by the non profit company – Salaam Baaalak. To meet the tour, I had to take the metro to a central station where I would be met by my guide. The metro was actually very close to my homestay and the kind host drove me himself to the station so I would not get lost and told me how to buy a ticket/pass. Foreigners must pay a slightly higher fee (which was the case throughout India) for a card that is pre-loaded with about $1.25 (the rides themselves are about $.25- $.50 per way). In sharp contrast to the outside traffic, Delhi’s metro trains are actually very clean, new and really a convenient way to travel around the city.
I found the right train and exit with relative ease and my tour guide was waiting for me as agreed. My guide was a lovely young man from Nepal who was a product of the non-profit program. He spoke great English and was a delight to accompany me on my exploration of the insane back alleys of Delhi with for ~3 hours. During the tour, I got to try 6 different types of street food (I was soooo full), including my newly discovered favorite dish, mutton nihari. I also got to tour the home the non-profit funds, ride a rickshaw and see the gritty but touching reality of life in Old Delhi. Readers, while you can envision what India is like from photos and video nothing can prepare you for the wild contrasts of sight, smell and emotions that you experience by visiting it in person. The tour took me through alleys which were packed with people, food carts, small businesses, electrical wires, trash, monkeys and extreme poverty, but yet had direct views of forts and temples. There were definitely times where my eyes welled up with tears at the amount of struggle so apparent; however, I was also hit by the strong sense of community and harmony amidst the mix of smells and chaos, an ever-present underlying system of sorts – one where everyone is doing not only their best to survive but giving to others at the same time, regardless of how much they had. I toured a temple where local volunteers cook and feed masses of the impoverished and saw lines of people squatting outside restaurants waiting for their turn to receive the daily free food. Even more shocking to an animal lover like myself was the fact that despite the number of stray dogs, not one was starving – almost all well fed and most were even wearing little jackets to keep them warm!
After my tour ended, I spent a few hours exploring the area, perusing some old forts and temples and then headed back to my homestay via the metro, this time braving the 15-minute walk by myself (crossing the streets is something not for the faint hearted – you have to say a little prayer and simply look forward and walk, without any hesitation). For a little more cultural immersion, that evening I had arranged a private Bollywood dance lesson at Deli Dance Academy, a 15-minute Uber ride from my homestay located in a slightly run down but functional small studio. I was the only student and the class was actually a blast, dressing up in sari and learning 4 different dances over the course of 2 hours.
As the Taj is closed on Fridays to the public and my host did not have any availability the next night (Friday), my plan was to head north the next day and do the ‘Golden Triangle’ in reverse, ending with the Taj in Agra. As an add on northern city to my itinerary, I decided to visit Rishikesh to see what the Ganges River and Himalayas looked like in India.
The next day I headed to India’s domestic Airport for my quick 1-hour flight on Indigo Airlines. The fight was to be the first of 4 throughout India and only by my last flight did I have all of the tricks for passing the rigorous (and slightly archaic) security down pat. At the airport, before even entering through the doors to check in, you must show your boarding pass and identification. Once inside, you have to show them again at security, gate boarding and before you actually step foot onto the plan (yes, after your boarding pass is scanned). You also have to remove every single piece of metal and anything remotely electronic from your bags, to include even the smallest pair of tweezers and phone jacks and put it all in plastic tubs, which are smaller than any US sized ones, to pass security. You end up standing in line holding about 3-4 tubs in your hands (you do not wait until your turn to unpack your things or you will never get a place in line much less a tub). Then everyone has to be wanded and pass through separated male and female body scanning. Needless to say, the 2 to 3 hours pre-flight arrival time recommended by the airlines is required in India.
The domestic terminal facilities were sufficient enough and my flight to Rishikesh was actually surprisingly on time. Indigo is India’s budget airline but I found it comfortable enough as well as very cost efficient at an average of $50 per flight (much better than spending hours in the car for the same price or more or trying to finagle the complex and non-foreigner friendly train system).
I landed in Rishikesh at night and broke one of my main travel rules as I had not pre booked transportation. However, everything I read online said that it was very simple and easy to book a taxi at the airport and it ended up working out just fine – I even paid $5 less than the rate the hotel gave me at $15 for the 40-minute ride. From first impression, in the pitch black, Rishikesh was very mountainous and a bit cold! My hotel, the Holywater by Ganga Kinare was one of the few ‘luxury’ options available and located next to the river. It was decently modern and clean, but I would not deem it ‘luxury’ by Western standards, more of budget friendly mid-range option. I managed to endure the rigorous India check in process (which always consists of signing a ledger with ALL your information, copying your passport and entering your details again in their computer system) despite the lack of spoken English by the staff and soon I was in bed for the night.
The next morning I headed down for breakfast at the hotel’s onsite restaurant. The meal was included in my rate, but I quickly discovered that I was going to be a vegetarian for the next 3 days as almost all of the city is vegetarian and my hotel was no exception. Indian breakfasts are notoriously huge and while there were no eggs there were a lot of things to try and I dove right in. Luckily, the restaurant staff noticed the only foreigner at the hotel and took pity on me, explaining what everything was and recommending items to try. I can say that I actually enjoyed all of it and was thankful that it would fill me past lunch as I had no idea what I would find in town.
After breakfast I went exploring to see what tours and Ayurvedic treatments I could find as Rishikesh is known for rafting and natural healing. As I arrived at night, I was a bit surprised as for what seemed to be a remote place was actually a very busy town with quite a bit of traffic. Sure, there were only two lanes and a few more cows, but the city was not the far-flung respite I envisioned. Additionally, the layout is actually spread far out and as I was staying in the quieter, southern part of town I did not find much of anything on my 2 hour walk. I was beginning to lose hope when I came across a sign for a spa with ‘Tripadvisor ratings’. I followed the arrows to a VERY small storefront and the owner right away recognized the foreigner looking lost and invited me inside to show me his price list. The well-worn treatment menu showed a variety of options for various ailments and I indicated that I was most interested in the $25.00 2-hour skin treatment and massage combo. However, I told the owner I did not have enough cash on me and I would need to come back after going to the ATM. He then called his son in and told him to take me to the ATM on his motorbike. The ATM was only 5 minutes away and I was pretty tired of walking in the non-sidewalk traffic ridden roads, so I agreed (it actually sounds sketchier than it was and the motorbike ride was kind of thrilling). I successfully got the funds I needed and headed back to the ‘spa.’ My massage and treatment took place in a somewhat dingy small room with a tiny space heater and a Thai style mat on the floor. The masseuse was an older lady who was pretty surly, briskly instructing me to disrobe and lie down, but the massage turned out to be actually quite good. After the massage, the treatment consisted of her heating up some strange powder on a hot plate and then brushing and massaging it onto my skin for an hour. It was a very unusual treatment but I did feel good afterwards!
After the ‘spa’ I made my way back to the hotel, discovering that I could take the back route along the Ganges River as an alternative to the insane street traffic and smell of exhaust. It was only a few 100 feet from the main road but blissfully empty and quiet with a great view to boot. The Ganges River is actually very clean (and cold) and at its banks you can observe brave souls bathing (not washing) themselves in the holy waters. At night there is also a ritual you can observe, but I was tired, cold and my walk I did not discover much in the way of interesting or decipherable restaurants, so I decided to brave it again with my hotel’s restaurant for an early dinner instead. Dinner was as delicious as breakfast, but I could not even tell you the names of anything I ate!
As the next day was Christmas and many things would be closed, I decided to take advantage of the hotel’s offered activity of palm reading/astrology. For 30 minutes, the reader told me about my life and what was to come just by my birthdate and time. It was an interesting experience but was it more accurate than just reading my astrological horoscope online? The jury is still out on that one but it was still fun. The rest of the day I spent exploring the city via foot, ferry and tuk tuk, crossing the two large bridges in town and bearing the masses of local crowds visiting for the holidays. I did manage to find the rafting tours at a steal for only $12 but the water and temperature clocking in at a brisk 50 degrees was just too cold for me and I saw multiple boats with passengers swimming in the freezing water so I decided to just observe the Ganga Aarti rituals at night instead. The rituals are done twice a day, in the morning and evening along the riverbanks and are Hindu ceremonies designed to show gratitude and respect. They are led by priests who chant hymns and light candles with wicks soaked in ghee. Unfortunately, the spiritual experience is somewhat tainted as the riverbank temple area is full of vendors and homeless people begging for money. After the ritual I headed back to the hotel for dinner, but as it was Christmas the restaurant only offered room service. I was actually glad to take advantage of it after a long couple of days in a hectic and somewhat disappointing town and ate my meal in peace and packed my bags for the next day’s flight. Read on (soon) to see which city I went to next!
