We hope you enjoy our experience and first impressions of India. If you have suggestions for additional places to go in India on our next visit, we would love to hear them. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Definitely keep Munnar, Kerala and Lakshadweep beaches in your bucket list. And definitely negotiate before taking a taxi, tuktuk or rickshaw, and negotiate hard.
Good you went to Kerala. It is a must but many miss it. Make sure you visit Coorg in Karnataka on your next visit. You may like Goa. The Andaman Islands, the north east and Kashmir are at the end points but worth visiting. You probably noticed the striking similarity between Kerala and Sri Lanka already. Carry bottled water. Stick to hot beverages and 7Up with absolutely No ice under any circumstances.
Tamil civilization is first civilization of human world. Visit your ancient first. Yes most english words came from tamil not from sanskrit ( plagiarized from tamil) Dont go to tamil nadu in summer. its worst time.
@serriajohn dumb. You got brainwashed by Western propaganda. In india they will say tamil created from sanskrit The reality is completely different Mandarin came from tamil . So is korean . so is latin and greek and english and also cameroonian remote village speak tamil Evidence of tamil is in all languages of the world. So what is the secret When they created tamil language they created it based on natural sounds. No human created artificial sounds Sanskrit flopped even though it sounded better but its like music we get tired of it afterwards We all see pyramid and how much older it is but Tamil is 30000 years old.
Used to be one of the FILTHIEST, UNSAFE, DISGUSTING, INCOMPETENT countries of the world 15 years ago. But now many parts are as good as Europe.. We were shocked by the transformation.
i am indian, I tell you which states are safe for foreigners North India : himachal pradesh, ladakh, jammu and kashmir West India : goa, maharashtra, gujarat South India : kerala, karnataka, tamil nadu, andhra pradesh, telangana North-East India : sikkim, darjeeling, meghalaya, arunachal pradesh, assam, all north-east state are beautiful. my personal favorite states : Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, sikkim, goa, kerala, all north-east states, Must Visit don't go bihar, jharkhnad, uttar pradesh
If it makes you feel any better, the rickshaw driver would have done the same to me...and I am originally from India. LOL. Your account of India was so fair and you didn't shy away from pointing out some issues like it being chaotic and having air pollution. I truly appreciate that. I have lived in the US for 30 years now and even I get a mild culture shock when I visit India. I hope you go back again and my slow travel plan is to explore India especially the Northeast region!
Thanks. It was still a great experience and we enjoyed the tour, if though the price was misleading. We can't wait to return and explore some other areas of the country. We try to be as fair as possible. Yes, there are plenty of opportunities in India, but the people were just so friendly and helpful to us across the entire country. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Loved the review as an indian. Glad that it was an honest account of your travels, you didnt dwell on stereotypes and you didnt sugercoat either. If you have plans to come again then i HIGHLY recommend the northeast, laddakh, Kashmir, Kerala etc.
I went to India for work. We interviewed loads of people; all interviews were conducted in English because it's so widely spoken. We weren't allowed to ride in tuk tuks sadly I have since ridden in them in Thailand and Sri Lanka. I also have fond memories of the breakfast buffet at the Hyatt Regency in Mumbai. The service and staff were wonderful, apart from the security guard who herded me back inside when I tried to find my way to the pool. Not sure what that was about! I hope to return and explore the smaller cities, the mountains, and places like Goa and Kerala.
India is totally on my list. I want to spend a whole winter in Goa. I am thinking about that golden temple near the Pakistan border and the closing of the border ceremony as well. India is a powerhouse of stuff. What a great and true video. You guys are the best. ❤
Thanks for following along with us and so glad you enjoyed the video. Hope you have a wonderful trip. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Goa is not worth more than a week. I am not sure where are you from. But I suggest you to visit Sikkim for huge mountain alpine forest, wonderful people much less chaos around. If you want to enjoy the jungle then visit Kanha national forest where the tiger roars. If you want to see the fort, palace visit Udaipur, jaisalmer, Chittaur.
Thank you, John & Bev! Such a thoughtful video. What a gift to all of us. You keep stretching our comfort zone and increasing our travel confidence & competence. I was lucky to be in grad school with so many wonderful people from India. That adds further enticement to visit this fascinating country.
Our pleasure! Thanks for the kind words and following along with us. Hope you get to visit India soon. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Hello Happy Travellers, I am happy that you have had wonderful experiences in India. As a five decade immigrant to USA from India, I am proud to see my motherland treated you well. People are very kind and caring. As for your experience with paddle tuktuk, clearly there was some miscommunication. For the amount of time and efforts he put in, i say what he charged you is reasonable. 20 Rupees wouldn't even buy chocolate bar for his kids. Thank you again for your positivity. I can't wait to retire later this year and make a long trip to India.
We agree, it was still a great value for 90 minutes. It was just funny that they start off at 20 rupees!!! We had a fantastic trip and hope to return to several new places. Congrats on retirement and happy journeys. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
I've been waiting for your report and am glad you had a great time. I went to India in 1995 as a single woman traveling with a trusted tour group. Oh my, yes, the drivers were terrifying! You didn't mention the pervasive beggers. Maybe that had been curtailed in recent years. I am haunted by some very sad things I saw, even though our tour guide helped protect us. But, as you said, the people were friendly. I'm glad I went, although I have no desire to return. Keep the videos coming, and thank you for all the great advice.
What a great video. I too loved India and as I went on a group tour with my sister I really want to go back with my husband. Will definitely look into some of the towns you suggested in the south as well as the golden triangle which is what I did. The Taj Mahal….wow blue me away it was so beautiful ! Only problem I found was I was sooooo sick of the Indian food by the time we left. Took me about a year to want to eat it again. 😂 Oh and add Varanessi to your next trip there…now that was something else to see the cremations beside the Ganges River..a trip I’ll never forget ❤
Thanks for sharing about Varanessi. We love Indian food, but after a month we were looking for some changes. We typically had eggs and yogurt for breakfast and more traditional Indian food for dinner. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Kind of you to genuinely portray the country in such positive light and glad you embraced the chaos & enjoyed it. Looking forward to your video on $$$ management and happy travels.
Thank you so much! We get lots of questions about money management and thought it was a great topic for Travel School. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Thanks so much for following along with us. Glad you are enjoying our channel and website. Happy journeys and many blessings in 2024, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
While living in Silicon Valley my neighbors were from India. So generous and kindhearted. Really miss them. Good quick summary on India. Hope to visit someday.
Thank goodness the return tuk-tuk was only$12! What a lovely experience you decided to have (your positive attitude is everything) and I feel grateful for your video. Very well-done!
Thank you so much!! It was still a great experience. Can you imagine how much a "private tour" for 90 minutes would cost in the US. So glad you enjoyed the video. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Your journey through the Golden Triangle brought back so many memories for me. The way locals insisted you sit on the subway was so heartwarming! Does anyone else have stories of unexpected kindness from their travels?
Thanks so much and thanks for following along with us. Glad you are enjoying our channel and website. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
As always, great video! So sorry to hear you got sick Bev. I also got sick recently after dental surgery and I thought I am definitely too old to be praying to the porcelain gods. Stay safe!
India is amazing, but definitely helps if you have some prior travel experience elsewhere in SE Asia :) I haven't yet been to Kerala and it's tops on my list next time I visit India. Thanks for sharing!
Not true....outside Delhi, Agra and Mumbai, India is pretty calm. Visit places like Kerala, Goa, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Ladakh, Shimla, Gangtok, etc.
Thank you for sharing your very interesting travel to India with us! I really felt like I was right there with you. I leaned several new things about India from watching your latest video- loving that you took “ a break” from doing your travel school series. Indeed, I agree with other comments about how brave you are to travel to “less travelled roads.”
India is fantastic! It is chaotic to us westerners, but if you can embrace other cultures, it won’t bother you too much. Glad it was a good visit for you folks!! Lots of fun for me to see it again--and relive the memories of my great visit to that fabulous country!
Thanks and it really is fantastic. We learn something new every country we visit. Glad it brought back some good memories. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Thanks so much. You are so welcome! We are very excited for you and hope you have an amazing trip. We will be doing some blogs on our website over the coming weeks and months. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
@@matgranger5061 thank you for your recommendation, I’ll search more info of the places you recommended to include something to our trip. We can’t avoid Delhi since our international flight lands there, but we are not staying long and don’t have high expectations 😅, and also want to stop at Agra to visit the Tag Mahal (we know it will be very crowded, but don’t want to skip it).
@@myadira1 If you are visiting Delhi, stay in better areas in New Delhi like Aerocity, Connaught Place, areas in South Delhi. Avoid visiting Old Delhi and don't stay in very cheap hotels/dorms. Try using the metro in Delhi, which is one of the best metros and use online apps (Uber, Ola) for booking taxis and tuk tuks.
Thank goodness the return tuk-tuk was only$12! What a lovely experience you decided to have (your positive attitude is everything) and I feel grateful for your video. Very well-done!
I am so glad you visited my country India and next time please do plan to visit Pune which is quite near to Mumbai.I would love to take you both around. Pune and the Western Ghats look amazing in the monsoon season
Thanks so much. We had a wonderful time in India. Thanks for the suggestion and the kind offer. We will return. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Thanks for watching and following along with us! So glad you are enjoying our channel and website. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Hey J&B, looks like you had a very enjoyable visit to India. Kerala/Cochi and Goa were highlights for us. In Mumbai we hired what we were told by the driver was an air conditioned taxi, got in, did a deal with the driver for a day tour, we headed off, it was hot so we asked the driver to put the a/c on, he pointed to the window winder on the door beside me and said "there are four for a/c", very educational.
I was in India last November and agree! The people and sights are amazing. My only warning re tour guides is that they all seem to have commercial relationships with local merchants (rugs, jewelry, fabrics, crafts, etc.) so they'll drop you off to shop while they wait outside. I found my protests -- "I don't want to shop!" -- fell on deaf ears, as they earn kickbacks from the stores.
Great point. We tell them upfront that we carry backpacks and don't buy ANYTHING. We DO NOT want to go to the stores. They listen most of the time, but not always. We will sometimes go to just video a local craftsperson and give them a tip to allow us to video them working. This works well for us. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Great tips, and thanks for settling my nerves about visiting India. My wife and I are also independent travelers, and we've been hesitant about going to India due to the chaos that's portrayed by the media.
Glad it was helpful! There is chaos, but it is all part of the travel experience. You have to go with an open mind and open heart. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Hello Indian here!! Avoid visiting Delhi and Agra. Visit places like Kerala, Goa, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Ladakh, Shimla, Gangtok, etc. Everything will be good!!
U can visit south India u can see variety of different foods temples heritage and culture especially Kerala and Tamil Nadu it's amazing Kerala, munnar, kochi, wayanad, Ooty, coimbatore, manglore, Gokarna, Coorg, Bangalore, Mysore, Alleppey, Karnataka world heritage site tanjavur bruhadeeshwara temple tamilnadu and palani temple tamilnadu here the god idol is made up of different types of ayurvedic medicines when we pour any liquid on idol it absorbs the medicinal properties of idol when we drink the liquid we don't get any diseses
Thank you so much! We had a wonderful time meeting nice people and seeing this interesting country. There were some challenges, but that is what world travel is all about. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Honking in Asia is most definitely part of their culture. The several times we traveled to China the driving was CRAZY but orderly, honking was just like you said warnings about passing, changing lanes, and so much more.
It is really interesting to just stop and listen to the honking. We were glad we weren't driving!!! Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Thank you for sharing. While India is on our travel bucket list, we have been talking about how chaotic it will be to go there. Hiring a guide who is recommended by the hotel is a great travel tip! We will definitely keep this in mind. Safe travels!
Our pleasure. Thanks for following along and hope you get to visit someday. It is an interesting experience for sure. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
The Golden Triangle area in the north was quite chilly, especially in the mornings. Mumbai and Kochi in the south were very warm. There was more hazy pollution in the bigger cities of Delhi and Mumbai. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
The only thing that has kept us from travelling to India is the fear of "Dehli Belly" and the air pollution. My spouse has allergies and mild asthma. Antidote, I have a friend who has travelled extensively in India. Says he eats street food with no I'll effects. The only time he got sick was eating at the Hyatt. His advice is don't eat it if can't see it being made.
Thanks for sharing the tips. Everything is certainly not perfect in India, but it is still a very interesting travel experience and we are so glad we went. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Definitely would recommend to plan for Northeastern region of India. Its one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I'd recommend in this order Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura. Gateway to getting into NE India is via West Bengal, accessible to most NE states.
Please visit North Indian mountain region including Uttarakhand, Himachal, Kashmir, Leh & Ladakh and North East regions of India if you like watching beautiful scenery, mountains, lakes, dense forests and vegetation, etc.
Wonderful video thanks. Sorry did have to laugh at John holding a cricket bat like it was baseball 😅 but all looked like glorious fun. I have been to India twice and I can see how people find it life changing 😊
Guilty. I had no idea what I was doing since this was the first time I ever picked up a cricket bat. 🤣 It was still great fun interacting with the local boys on the beach. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
I love the personal touch by the hotel staff. We had a similar experience in Malasia. Maybe someday I will tell you all about it over a beer in Osaka 😊
It was a very special gesture. That was one of the best hotel experiences ever. Travel stories and cold beer always go well together. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
@@RetirementTravelers in short as we were checking in at the hotel I casually mentioned it was my wife's birthday. After that every time we returned to the room there were balloons, chocolate, flowers for the 3 days. Made her feel very special. Love watching y'all!
I was going to ask what you did related to the logistics of finances leading up to traveling, such as did you cancel any credit cards that had foreign transaction fees (I know you already no longer had paper checks), and you're one step ahead of me (again). Looking forward to your next video!
We would say similar to Vietnam on both. It is really hard to say because India is so big and so diverse. Things can be expensive in the nice hotels and extremely cheap a couple blocks away. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
One great part of India is Kashmir with Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg. The weather there is like Colorado. Robert Plant sang about it in 1975 Physical Graffiti album. Then there is North East India with Mongoloid people. I am really crazy about music of Mizoram. My favorite Mizo songs from various years are the following: 1) Kimkima: I zun ngaih lunglen (2019) 2) Sangtei Khuptong and K Hminga: Awm lo tala (2020) 3) Cassettes: E khai (2021) 4) Zaii Hauchhum and Vanlalhmangaiha: Hmangaihte Hmangaihna (2022) 5) Saiwanah and Mary Dawngi: Ka Pa Khuma (2023) Ka Pa Khuma is my favorite song of 2023. I also have three playlists from Mizoram 1) 25 Artists and 25 songs 2) 460 Mizo songs 3) Mizo top 75 Mizo music is like USA music of 1970s.
Thanks for sharing your experience in India! I'm sorry you were sick, Bev. As I continue to plan my travels, I have often wondered what do you do when that happens. Do you cancel things and reschedule? Do you have to cut out part of your trip in order to make it to a future destination in time? Glad you're all better and able to keep going. Your positive attitudes are inspiring!
We cancelled one of our tours in a city and just took it easy for a few days. We are pretty flexible and usually build in some down days to work on our content. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
India is my favorite place of all. Its been over 20 years ago that I visited on two extended stays. Traffic chaos and necessity to “honk your horn” is legit. Goa is also a soft place to land. 5 yr Visa? Wow. Sri Lanka!
We love your interactions with each other as well as your video. We are planning to go there next year and your advice has arrived at a perfect time! Thank you for being so welcoming❤
Our pleasure! Thanks so much for watching and following along with us. Happy journeys and enjoy your trip. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
I've been to Delhi many times. You will get "Delphi Belly" at least once. Charcoal tablets help plus they tell me bananas help but I am not sure about that. The people are fantastic but always anxious to make some money which I understand.
Guests are God & the world is one family,these are real values of India,yes it's overpopulous so sometimes mishaps happens,but our core values are truly treating our guests as God,I hope people like you come to India,enjoy your trip and have an appreciation for the unique cultural adventure 🙏❤
Glad that you had a good experience travelling in India!!! Will highly recommend Jodhpur & Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, Bhopal and Jabalpur in Central India, North East of course (you need a minimum of two to three weeks to cover parts of it), Andamans and Nicobar Islands are fascinating as well!!!
You missed these : 1. Rajasthan : You have missed atleast 15-20 historical places in Rajasthan y You must visit Jodhpur Fort, Jaisalmer Fort (only living Fort), Chittorgarh Fort, Kumbhalgarh Fort(2nd longest Fort wall in the world -36km), outstanding Jain temples of Ranakpur and Bhilwara, Pushkar etc. The list is long. 2. Kerala: The best backwater boating is in "Alleppey". You also missed Munnar Tea Gardens, Wayanad, Thekkady etc 3. Infact you need a lifetime yo visit India because each of the 28 states have their own languages, food , culture, dance , music etc. Next time, please, plan a month in each state to explore it properly.
You are so welcome! Thanks for following along with us and hope you are enjoying our channel and website. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Well..this was interesting...definitely a unique experience for those of us not south asian related. It must be an international thing when eating food...our Indian neighbors insisted we stuff ourselves when we ate with them at their international bazaar here....and our Taiwanese hosts also insisted we stuff ourselves eating their native foods. Glad you're feeling better...Montezuma travels around apparently. Onward and forward!
Thanks. Travel always has some ups and downs! India was certainly an experience we will always remember. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Enjoying your vlogs. Some great tips. Hot-tip don't fly into Delhi. Fly into either Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, or Ahemdabad. These are much better cities. Also Agra now has a metro train straight to the Taj.
Cricket is very popular but it is not the national sport of India. Cricket is the national sport of UK. Try visiting places like Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Ladakh, Shimla, Puducherry, Gangtok, Coorg, Dharamshala, etc. in India.
Thanks so much. I had a rough first outing at cricket, but still had a blast. I actually hit it after Bev turned off the camera. 🤣 Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
That was in the backwaters of Kochi. It was a wonderful sunrise trip. We loved it. The tour guide link we used is in the description. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Thanks so much for the additional clarity. It felt very special to us to be a part of this celebration. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Smog will be there only in heavily populated cities, otherwise you will have fog only(no pollution outside cities), it will be there for like 60% days which delays the transport in northern india.
Great video, thanks for sharing! Always love to see first time impressions of India travellers ... and yes, you have to come back and explore more of it. One can spend endless time in India and still there is always something more to detect. To fall victim to any rickshaw or auto drivers is normal, don't mind, it happens to all of us once in a while. Meanwhile most people switched to ordering them on an app with guaranteed prices (uber, ola etc.). But in your case I got the impression that he was acting not only as driver but really as kind of a guide, bringing you to spots you never would have seen without him, so you got at least some value for your extra money 🤣 And ey, traffic in India isn't maybe sooo bad, if you consider how many hundreds of millions of people deal with it every single day and come out unharmed ...😉 I'm sure if you get more used to it, you'll fall in love with the traffic and get totally accomodated to the Indian driving style, especially the one found in bigger cities like Mumbai or Bangalore 🤣
Thanks so much. We had a great time and just made us eager to explore even more. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Hi John, hi Bev. Your video couldn't have been better timed for me, as I'm spending this Saturday morning researching India! My husband and I have just started our semi retirement travels and India is somewhere I feel we need to go. We're pretty adventurous, but one thing that's making me hesitate a bit is the toilet situation! I'm just not coordinated enough to use an Indian style loo! When you were out and about for the day in India, were there western style toilets available?
I only saw western style. They almost always had toilet paper; although, I carried paper in my pocket. Hope this helps! Bev PS Have fun and let us know how it goes!
What a relieve to read her response. I already booked 😅, I had knee surgery but still suffer from knee pain, squat is not a position I can hold without pain 😢
We hope you enjoy our experience and first impressions of India. If you have suggestions for additional places to go in India on our next visit, we would love to hear them.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Definitely keep Munnar, Kerala and Lakshadweep beaches in your bucket list.
And definitely negotiate before taking a taxi, tuktuk or rickshaw, and negotiate hard.
Good you went to Kerala. It is a must but many miss it. Make sure you visit Coorg in Karnataka on your next visit. You may like Goa. The Andaman Islands, the north east and Kashmir are at the end points but worth visiting. You probably noticed the striking similarity between Kerala and Sri Lanka already. Carry bottled water. Stick to hot beverages and 7Up with absolutely No ice under any circumstances.
@serriajohndo you know of the rape statistics in the US or Europe? STFU
Tamil civilization is first civilization of human world. Visit your ancient first. Yes most english words came from tamil not from sanskrit ( plagiarized from tamil)
Dont go to tamil nadu in summer. its worst time.
@serriajohn dumb. You got brainwashed by Western propaganda. In india they will say tamil created from sanskrit
The reality is completely different
Mandarin came from tamil . So is korean . so is latin and greek and english
and also cameroonian remote village speak tamil
Evidence of tamil is in all languages of the world.
So what is the secret
When they created tamil language they created it based on natural sounds. No human created artificial sounds
Sanskrit flopped even though it sounded better but its like music we get tired of it afterwards
We all see pyramid and how much older it is but Tamil is 30000 years old.
I’ve loved my trips to India, both for work and personal. What a brilliant and vibrant country, the people are great.
Thanks for sharing. The people were wonderful.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Indians can be great if you can choose wisely.
Used to be one of the FILTHIEST, UNSAFE, DISGUSTING, INCOMPETENT countries of the world 15 years ago.
But now many parts are as good as Europe.. We were shocked by the transformation.
I've loved my 5 visits to India. The people were so hospitable, and I feel like they're my extended family now.
We met so many nice people there as well.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
i am indian, I tell you which states are safe for foreigners
North India : himachal pradesh, ladakh, jammu and kashmir
West India : goa, maharashtra, gujarat
South India : kerala, karnataka, tamil nadu, andhra pradesh, telangana
North-East India : sikkim, darjeeling, meghalaya, arunachal pradesh, assam, all north-east state are beautiful.
my personal favorite states : Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, sikkim, goa, kerala, all north-east states, Must Visit don't go bihar, jharkhnad, uttar pradesh
If it makes you feel any better, the rickshaw driver would have done the same to me...and I am originally from India. LOL. Your account of India was so fair and you didn't shy away from pointing out some issues like it being chaotic and having air pollution. I truly appreciate that. I have lived in the US for 30 years now and even I get a mild culture shock when I visit India. I hope you go back again and my slow travel plan is to explore India especially the Northeast region!
Thanks. It was still a great experience and we enjoyed the tour, if though the price was misleading. We can't wait to return and explore some other areas of the country. We try to be as fair as possible. Yes, there are plenty of opportunities in India, but the people were just so friendly and helpful to us across the entire country.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Rs20 is just way too cheap to be true . Minimum you can expect for 20 min one way is Rs 100
BTW don't trust indians who've left India about India . We certainly don't, it's a conflict of ..........
20 per person for few kms is not too much for rikshaw.
@@sarak5638
I also visited kochi last year 😊 love from Argentina 🇦🇷
Thanks. Kochi is great and we will be visiting Argentina again next year.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
visit again ....try north east 😊
I’m so glad you enjoyed your trip. India is a marvelous country.
Thanks. We had a great time.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Loved the review as an indian. Glad that it was an honest account of your travels, you didnt dwell on stereotypes and you didnt sugercoat either. If you have plans to come again then i HIGHLY recommend the northeast, laddakh, Kashmir, Kerala etc.
Glad you liked it! We can't wait to return to northest India. It sounds amazing.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Also try beautiful GOA and it's beautiful beaches. 😊 You will enjoy 🎉😊@@RetirementTravelers
I went to India for work. We interviewed loads of people; all interviews were conducted in English because it's so widely spoken. We weren't allowed to ride in tuk tuks sadly I have since ridden in them in Thailand and Sri Lanka. I also have fond memories of the breakfast buffet at the Hyatt Regency in Mumbai. The service and staff were wonderful, apart from the security guard who herded me back inside when I tried to find my way to the pool. Not sure what that was about! I hope to return and explore the smaller cities, the mountains, and places like Goa and Kerala.
Thanks for sharing. The Hyatt hotels were all awesome.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Uttrakhand and North Eastern States like Sikkim, Assam, and Tripura are a few amazing natural scenic places.
Wow!!!! What a gorgeous video! The filming & editing was superb. A very interesting & eye opening video. It was inspiring!! Thank you!! 🌷
Thanks! India was a great country to visit. Happy Journeys! John & Bev
India is totally on my list. I want to spend a whole winter in Goa. I am thinking about that golden temple near the Pakistan border and the closing of the border ceremony as well. India is a powerhouse of stuff. What a great and true video. You guys are the best. ❤
Thanks for following along with us and so glad you enjoyed the video. Hope you have a wonderful trip.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Goa is not worth more than a week. I am not sure where are you from. But I suggest you to visit Sikkim for huge mountain alpine forest, wonderful people much less chaos around. If you want to enjoy the jungle then visit Kanha national forest where the tiger roars. If you want to see the fort, palace visit Udaipur, jaisalmer, Chittaur.
Go to kerala , andamans , munnar, coorg and try and go to north east
Thank you, John & Bev! Such a thoughtful video. What a gift to all of us. You keep stretching our comfort zone and increasing our travel confidence & competence. I was lucky to be in grad school with so many wonderful people from India. That adds further enticement to visit this fascinating country.
Our pleasure! Thanks for the kind words and following along with us. Hope you get to visit India soon.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Hello Happy Travellers, I am happy that you have had wonderful experiences in India. As a five decade immigrant to USA from India, I am proud to see my motherland treated you well. People are very kind and caring.
As for your experience with paddle tuktuk, clearly there was some miscommunication. For the amount of time and efforts he put in, i say what he charged you is reasonable. 20 Rupees wouldn't even buy chocolate bar for his kids.
Thank you again for your positivity. I can't wait to retire later this year and make a long trip to India.
We agree, it was still a great value for 90 minutes. It was just funny that they start off at 20 rupees!!! We had a fantastic trip and hope to return to several new places. Congrats on retirement and happy journeys.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I've been waiting for your report and am glad you had a great time. I went to India in 1995 as a single woman traveling with a trusted tour group. Oh my, yes, the drivers were terrifying! You didn't mention the pervasive beggers. Maybe that had been curtailed in recent years. I am haunted by some very sad things I saw, even though our tour guide helped protect us. But, as you said, the people were friendly. I'm glad I went, although I have no desire to return. Keep the videos coming, and thank you for all the great advice.
Thanks for sharing and glad you are enjoying our channel and website.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
India is nothing like it was in 1995. India is currently the 5th largest economy and the fastest growing major economy in the world.
Dear Traveller what can you expect from a country which was looted by britishers for centuries
Love from Kerala. India
Thanks 😊
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
What a great video. I too loved India and as I went on a group tour with my sister I really want to go back with my husband. Will definitely look into some of the towns you suggested in the south as well as the golden triangle which is what I did. The Taj Mahal….wow blue me away it was so beautiful ! Only problem I found was I was sooooo sick of the Indian food by the time we left. Took me about a year to want to eat it again. 😂
Oh and add Varanessi to your next trip there…now that was something else to see the cremations beside the Ganges River..a trip I’ll never forget ❤
Thanks for sharing about Varanessi. We love Indian food, but after a month we were looking for some changes. We typically had eggs and yogurt for breakfast and more traditional Indian food for dinner.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
You can find any food you want including Mexican won’t be same but options are there.
Kind of you to genuinely portray the country in such positive light and glad you embraced the chaos & enjoyed it. Looking forward to your video on $$$ management and happy travels.
Thank you so much! We get lots of questions about money management and thought it was a great topic for Travel School.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
My wife and I absolutely LOVE your vids and adventures, when we retire, we will follow suit, great job guys! ❤❤❤
Thanks so much for following along with us. Glad you are enjoying our channel and website.
Happy journeys and many blessings in 2024,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Wonderful video! India is on my list and you made me much more comfortable
Happy to hear that! So glad you enjoyed the video.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Hello Indian here!! Avoid visiting Delhi and Agra. Visit places like Kerala, Goa, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Ladakh, Shimla, Gangtok, etc.
While living in Silicon Valley my neighbors were from India. So generous and kindhearted. Really miss them. Good quick summary on India. Hope to visit someday.
Thanks for sharing. We met so many wonderful people there. Hope you get to visit.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thank goodness the return tuk-tuk was only$12! What a lovely experience you decided to have (your positive attitude is everything) and I feel grateful for your video. Very well-done!
Thank you so much!! It was still a great experience. Can you imagine how much a "private tour" for 90 minutes would cost in the US. So glad you enjoyed the video.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
@@RetirementTravelers Yes, I was afraid for you that it was going to be $500!
Your journey through the Golden Triangle brought back so many memories for me. The way locals insisted you sit on the subway was so heartwarming! Does anyone else have stories of unexpected kindness from their travels?
The people in India treated us so kindly the entire trip. We do love those memories.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Your video just underscores to me how much attitude is everything. Appreciate this video and your content.
Thanks so much and thanks for following along with us. Glad you are enjoying our channel and website.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
As always, great video! So sorry to hear you got sick Bev. I also got sick recently after dental surgery and I thought I am definitely too old to be praying to the porcelain gods. Stay safe!
Thanks for following along with us. Sorry to hear you got sick.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I'm so pleased to see you guys finally got to India. It's an incredible country!
Thanks. We are so glad we finally went and spent a month. It is so big and diverse.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
India is amazing, but definitely helps if you have some prior travel experience elsewhere in SE Asia :) I haven't yet been to Kerala and it's tops on my list next time I visit India. Thanks for sharing!
Kerala was actually our favorite of the places we visited. We think you would enjoy it.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Not true....outside Delhi, Agra and Mumbai, India is pretty calm. Visit places like Kerala, Goa, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Ladakh, Shimla, Gangtok, etc.
Thank you for sharing your very interesting travel to India with us! I really felt like I was right there with you. I leaned several new things about India from watching your latest video- loving that you took “ a break” from doing your travel school series. Indeed, I agree with other comments about how brave you are to travel to “less travelled roads.”
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for following along with us.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
India is fantastic! It is chaotic to us westerners, but if you can embrace other cultures, it won’t bother you too much.
Glad it was a good visit for you folks!! Lots of fun for me to see it again--and relive the memories of my great visit to that fabulous country!
Thanks and it really is fantastic. We learn something new every country we visit. Glad it brought back some good memories.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I love your videos!
Thank you so much for all the info, we have our plane tickets for end of October, I can’t wait!!! ❤❤❤
Thanks so much. You are so welcome! We are very excited for you and hope you have an amazing trip. We will be doing some blogs on our website over the coming weeks and months.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Hello Indian here!! Avoid visiting Delhi and Agra. Visit places like Kerala, Goa, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Ladakh, Shimla, Gangtok, etc.
@@matgranger5061 thank you for your recommendation, I’ll search more info of the places you recommended to include something to our trip. We can’t avoid Delhi since our international flight lands there, but we are not staying long and don’t have high expectations 😅, and also want to stop at Agra to visit the Tag Mahal (we know it will be very crowded, but don’t want to skip it).
@@myadira1 If you are visiting Delhi, stay in better areas in New Delhi like Aerocity, Connaught Place, areas in South Delhi.
Avoid visiting Old Delhi and don't stay in very cheap hotels/dorms. Try using the metro in Delhi, which is one of the best metros and use online apps (Uber, Ola) for booking taxis and tuk tuks.
Nice to be known in a positive manner!
Thanks. We had a wonderful time and learned so much.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thank goodness the return tuk-tuk was only$12! What a lovely experience you decided to have (your positive attitude is everything) and I feel grateful for your video. Very well-done!
Very interesting video. I doubt that we will ever make it there, so thanks for taking me with you 😊.
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for following along with us.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
I am so glad you visited my country India and next time please do plan to visit Pune which is quite near to Mumbai.I would love to take you both around. Pune and the Western Ghats look amazing in the monsoon season
Thanks so much. We had a wonderful time in India. Thanks for the suggestion and the kind offer. We will return.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Wonderful break-down of an amazing journey to fascinating destinations, thank y'all!! 🏆🙌
Our pleasure! So glad you are enjoying our channel and website.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I sooooo impressed with your planning skills and adventurous spirit!!
Thanks so much for your kind words! John & Bev
You both are so informative! Thank you!🙏❤️🙏
Thanks for watching and following along with us! So glad you are enjoying our channel and website.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Love this, cant wait to see more when you get around to making the city videos...india is high on my list.
Thanks. We visited some great cities in India.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Hey J&B, looks like you had a very enjoyable visit to India. Kerala/Cochi and Goa were highlights for us. In Mumbai we hired what we were told by the driver was an air conditioned taxi, got in, did a deal with the driver for a day tour, we headed off, it was hot so we asked the driver to put the a/c on, he pointed to the window winder on the door beside me and said "there are four for a/c", very educational.
Thanks for sharing. There are certainly no guarantees when traveling abroad.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I was in India last November and agree! The people and sights are amazing. My only warning re tour guides is that they all seem to have commercial relationships with local merchants (rugs, jewelry, fabrics, crafts, etc.) so they'll drop you off to shop while they wait outside. I found my protests -- "I don't want to shop!" -- fell on deaf ears, as they earn kickbacks from the stores.
Great point. We tell them upfront that we carry backpacks and don't buy ANYTHING. We DO NOT want to go to the stores. They listen most of the time, but not always. We will sometimes go to just video a local craftsperson and give them a tip to allow us to video them working. This works well for us.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great tips, and thanks for settling my nerves about visiting India. My wife and I are also independent travelers, and we've been hesitant about going to India due to the chaos that's portrayed by the media.
Glad it was helpful! There is chaos, but it is all part of the travel experience. You have to go with an open mind and open heart.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Hello Indian here!! Avoid visiting Delhi and Agra. Visit places like Kerala, Goa, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Ladakh, Shimla, Gangtok, etc. Everything will be good!!
You can visit sikkim. Gem of a state with almost zero crime rate and very little chaos around. People are exceptionally innocent.
Great tips for visitors. ❤❤
Glad you think so! Thanks for watching.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Nice, helpful video. Good to know it's not as overwhelming as so many people claim.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
U can visit south India u can see variety of different foods temples heritage and culture especially Kerala and Tamil Nadu it's amazing Kerala, munnar, kochi, wayanad, Ooty, coimbatore, manglore, Gokarna, Coorg, Bangalore, Mysore, Alleppey, Karnataka world heritage site tanjavur bruhadeeshwara temple tamilnadu and palani temple tamilnadu here the god idol is made up of different types of ayurvedic medicines when we pour any liquid on idol it absorbs the medicinal properties of idol when we drink the liquid we don't get any diseses
Thanks for all the great input on India. Much appreciated.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
You are so fearless and courageous. Looks beautiful
Thank you so much! We had a wonderful time meeting nice people and seeing this interesting country. There were some challenges, but that is what world travel is all about.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
It sounds like a wonderful journey for you both. Your faces where lit up and the smiles seemed to go from ear to ear. 👂 😊
Yes it is! Thank you for the kind words and for following along with us.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
India alongwith its neighbours is called the Indian subcontinent because ofvthe diversity in culture, language, landscapes etc.
Thanks. We had a fantastic time in this amazing country.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Crossing streets is difficult in big cities for us too. We were born and grew up in India before moving to US
Very challenging, but all part of the big adventure!!!
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Definately on our bucket list!
Wonderful. Hope you have a great visit.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I’m from st. Lucia and honking is usually to say hi when you see someone you know in another car. 😂
Thanks. for sharing. We saw some that as well.
Happy Journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
As long as someone else is driving..... so true! Was my experience as well. I love this land and its people!!
We had a great time and have no desire to ever drive there.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Honking in Asia is most definitely part of their culture. The several times we traveled to China the driving was CRAZY but orderly, honking was just like you said warnings about passing, changing lanes, and so much more.
It is really interesting to just stop and listen to the honking. We were glad we weren't driving!!!
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
What an adventure. Thanks for sharing. Waiting to see more.👍
Thanks for watching!
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thank you for sharing. While India is on our travel bucket list, we have been talking about how chaotic it will be to go there. Hiring a guide who is recommended by the hotel is a great travel tip! We will definitely keep this in mind. Safe travels!
Our pleasure. Thanks for following along and hope you get to visit someday. It is an interesting experience for sure.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Hello Indian here!! Avoid visiting Delhi and Agra. Visit places like Kerala, Goa, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Ladakh, Shimla, Gangtok, etc.
@@matgranger5061 Do you even know why people consider to travel to India? It's primarily for the Taj Mahal.
@@devbtc Because they don't have knowledge about the good places in India.
The sky looks hazy. Is that air pollution or fog. It seems chilly as everyone is wearing jackets. India is on my list so I appreciate this video.
The Golden Triangle area in the north was quite chilly, especially in the mornings. Mumbai and Kochi in the south were very warm. There was more hazy pollution in the bigger cities of Delhi and Mumbai.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
The only thing that has kept us from travelling to India is the fear of "Dehli Belly" and the air pollution. My spouse has allergies and mild asthma. Antidote, I have a friend who has travelled extensively in India. Says he eats street food with no I'll effects. The only time he got sick was eating at the Hyatt. His advice is don't eat it if can't see it being made.
Thanks for sharing the tips. Everything is certainly not perfect in India, but it is still a very interesting travel experience and we are so glad we went.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Definitely would recommend to plan for Northeastern region of India. Its one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I'd recommend in this order Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura. Gateway to getting into NE India is via West Bengal, accessible to most NE states.
Thanks for sharing. It looks amazing.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Enjoyed your vlog Going to the Golden Triangle later this year Looking forward to
experiencing all this vibrant country has to offer 🙏🏻
Thanks. Hope you enjoy it!
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Please visit North Indian mountain region including Uttarakhand, Himachal, Kashmir, Leh & Ladakh and North East regions of India if you like watching beautiful scenery, mountains, lakes, dense forests and vegetation, etc.
Thanks. Sounds amazing.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I love your sense of adventure and willingness to travel with an open and gracious spirit!
Thanks so much. We feel blessed to be doing this!
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Wonderful video thanks. Sorry did have to laugh at John holding a cricket bat like it was baseball 😅 but all looked like glorious fun. I have been to India twice and I can see how people find it life changing 😊
Guilty. I had no idea what I was doing since this was the first time I ever picked up a cricket bat. 🤣 It was still great fun interacting with the local boys on the beach.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
What an adventure! Thanks for sharing!
Our pleasure! Thanks for following along with us.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
When you define India, it's known as the "Oldest Continuously Inhabited Civilization in the world"😊
Namaste and welcome to Mother India.
Namaste. We had an incredible month in India. The people were so kind.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
sorry to disappoint- the Australian Aborigines have the oldest continuously inhabited culture.
I love the personal touch by the hotel staff. We had a similar experience in Malasia. Maybe someday I will tell you all about it over a beer in Osaka 😊
It was a very special gesture. That was one of the best hotel experiences ever. Travel stories and cold beer always go well together.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
@@RetirementTravelers in short as we were checking in at the hotel I casually mentioned it was my wife's birthday. After that every time we returned to the room there were balloons, chocolate, flowers for the 3 days. Made her feel very special. Love watching y'all!
I was going to ask what you did related to the logistics of finances leading up to traveling, such as did you cancel any credit cards that had foreign transaction fees (I know you already no longer had paper checks), and you're one step ahead of me (again). Looking forward to your next video!
Hope you enjoy our money management video next week.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thank you for another great video! How is India compared to Vietnam in terms of cost and unexpected things like the train and tuk tuk incidents?
We would say similar to Vietnam on both. It is really hard to say because India is so big and so diverse. Things can be expensive in the nice hotels and extremely cheap a couple blocks away.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Nice video and contents. Learnt a lot from you. Following your videos, you guys are brave. Be safe and keep well!
Thank you very much! Glad you are enjoying our channel and website.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
What a great video, thanks!
Glad you liked it! Thanks so much.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I highly recommend taking the tiny train to Darjeeling- it is fascinating
Great tip. It sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
One great part of India is Kashmir with Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg. The weather there is like Colorado.
Robert Plant sang about it in 1975 Physical Graffiti album.
Then there is North East India with Mongoloid people. I am really crazy about music of Mizoram. My favorite Mizo songs from various years are the following:
1) Kimkima: I zun ngaih lunglen (2019)
2) Sangtei Khuptong and K Hminga: Awm lo tala (2020)
3) Cassettes: E khai (2021)
4) Zaii Hauchhum and Vanlalhmangaiha: Hmangaihte Hmangaihna (2022)
5) Saiwanah and Mary Dawngi: Ka Pa Khuma (2023)
Ka Pa Khuma is my favorite song of 2023.
I also have three playlists from Mizoram
1) 25 Artists and 25 songs
2) 460 Mizo songs
3) Mizo top 75
Mizo music is like USA music of 1970s.
Thanks for all the great music info.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
You guys are an inspiration!
Thanks so much for the kind words. Hope you are enjoying our channel and website.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great video. I grew up in Kochi❤. Hi from Tampa 😊
Awesome! Thank you! We loved Kochi.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Thanks for sharing your experience in India! I'm sorry you were sick, Bev. As I continue to plan my travels, I have often wondered what do you do when that happens. Do you cancel things and reschedule? Do you have to cut out part of your trip in order to make it to a future destination in time? Glad you're all better and able to keep going. Your positive attitudes are inspiring!
We cancelled one of our tours in a city and just took it easy for a few days. We are pretty flexible and usually build in some down days to work on our content.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
@@RetirementTravelers thank you, that's very helpful to know!
Just found you! 😊
Can’t wait to watch your adventures. 🤩 ❤️
🌷Sam
Welcome aboard! Hope you enjoy our channel and website.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
India is my favorite place of all. Its been over 20 years ago that I visited on two extended stays. Traffic chaos and necessity to “honk your horn” is legit. Goa is also a soft place to land. 5 yr Visa? Wow. Sri Lanka!
Thanks for sharing your experiences. You would love Sri Lanka as well.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
your exp at Hyatt- that's Indian hospitality for you. it just makes your eyes water up .. and the rickshaw driver's strategy made me laugh out loud.
Thanks. India was a great experience for us.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
India is best business place in youtubers anyway welcome to India 🌝
Yes it is. Thanks.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Good for you Guys! Glad that you liked India, I was scared to travel there, so went to Nepal instead. When do you go to Africa?
We want to go to Nepal as well one of these days. We leave next week for Africa.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
We love your interactions with each other as well as your video. We are planning to go there next year and your advice has arrived at a perfect time! Thank you for being so welcoming❤
Our pleasure! Thanks so much for watching and following along with us.
Happy journeys and enjoy your trip.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I've been to Delhi many times. You will get "Delphi Belly" at least once. Charcoal tablets help plus they tell me bananas help but I am not sure about that. The people are fantastic but always anxious to make some money which I understand.
Thanks for the tips. We had a great time and will certainly go back.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Love your videos. What program do you use to edit?
We use Final Cut Pro X. Thanks for watching and thanks for your kind words! John & Bev
Guests are God & the world is one family,these are real values of India,yes it's overpopulous so sometimes mishaps happens,but our core values are truly treating our guests as God,I hope people like you come to India,enjoy your trip and have an appreciation for the unique cultural adventure 🙏❤
Thanks so much. We had a wonderful time in India.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Glad that you had a good experience travelling in India!!!
Will highly recommend Jodhpur & Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, Bhopal and Jabalpur in Central India, North East of course (you need a minimum of two to three weeks to cover parts of it), Andamans and Nicobar Islands are fascinating as well!!!
Thanks for the suggestions.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
You missed these :
1. Rajasthan : You have missed atleast 15-20 historical places in Rajasthan y You must visit Jodhpur Fort, Jaisalmer Fort (only living Fort), Chittorgarh Fort, Kumbhalgarh Fort(2nd longest Fort wall in the world -36km), outstanding Jain temples of Ranakpur and Bhilwara, Pushkar etc. The list is long.
2. Kerala: The best backwater boating is in "Alleppey". You also missed Munnar Tea Gardens, Wayanad, Thekkady etc
3. Infact you need a lifetime yo visit India because each of the 28 states have their own languages, food , culture, dance , music etc.
Next time, please, plan a month in each state to explore it properly.
Some great suggestions for our return visit. Thanks
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
Thank you for another great video! I love your enthusiasm and positivity!
You are so welcome! Thanks for following along with us and hope you are enjoying our channel and website.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Well..this was interesting...definitely a unique experience for those of us not south asian related. It must be an international thing when eating food...our Indian neighbors insisted we stuff ourselves when we ate with them at their international bazaar here....and our Taiwanese hosts also insisted we stuff ourselves eating their native foods. Glad you're feeling better...Montezuma travels around apparently. Onward and forward!
Thanks. Travel always has some ups and downs! India was certainly an experience we will always remember.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Enjoying your vlogs. Some great tips. Hot-tip don't fly into Delhi. Fly into either Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, or Ahemdabad. These are much better cities. Also Agra now has a metro train straight to the Taj.
Thanks for the tips and glad you are enjoying our channel.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thanks for the advice. We are also retired and traveling full time. We’re planning to visit India in November so the advice is very helpful
Glad it was helpful and hope you have an amazing trip.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thanks for visiting India that too multiple places our country is full culture and love 😇
You are welcome.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Cricket is very popular but it is not the national sport of India. Cricket is the national sport of UK.
Try visiting places like Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Ladakh, Shimla, Puducherry, Gangtok, Coorg, Dharamshala, etc. in India.
Thanks for sharing.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
14:29 Yes, in small towns it's better not to wear small shorts, and it's good to not stay outside after evening for too long in small villages.
Thanks for sharing.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
thanks for visiting... u guys are lovely..
Thanks for visiting our India. Love from Delhi.❤
Our pleasure! We had a great time.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
That was great. Loved your cricket style 😂
Thanks so much. I had a rough first outing at cricket, but still had a blast. I actually hit it after Bev turned off the camera. 🤣
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Where was the last place in the video, when you were in the water.
That was in the backwaters of Kochi. It was a wonderful sunrise trip. We loved it. The tour guide link we used is in the description.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
It is Ram Mandir "Pran" Prathistha. Pran meaning life.
Thanks so much for the additional clarity. It felt very special to us to be a part of this celebration.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thank you for your videos! You guys do great job!
Very interesting country
Yes it is. We loved our month of travel in India.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Smog will be there only in heavily populated cities, otherwise you will have fog only(no pollution outside cities), it will be there for like 60% days which delays the transport in northern india.
Thanks for sharing.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great video, thanks for sharing!
Always love to see first time impressions of India travellers ... and yes, you have to come back and explore more of it. One can spend endless time in India and still there is always something more to detect.
To fall victim to any rickshaw or auto drivers is normal, don't mind, it happens to all of us once in a while. Meanwhile most people switched to ordering them on an app with guaranteed prices (uber, ola etc.). But in your case I got the impression that he was acting not only as driver but really as kind of a guide, bringing you to spots you never would have seen without him, so you got at least some value for your extra money 🤣
And ey, traffic in India isn't maybe sooo bad, if you consider how many hundreds of millions of people deal with it every single day and come out unharmed ...😉 I'm sure if you get more used to it, you'll fall in love with the traffic and get totally accomodated to the Indian driving style, especially the one found in bigger cities like Mumbai or Bangalore 🤣
Thanks so much. We had a great time and just made us eager to explore even more. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Hi John, hi Bev. Your video couldn't have been better timed for me, as I'm spending this Saturday morning researching India! My husband and I have just started our semi retirement travels and India is somewhere I feel we need to go. We're pretty adventurous, but one thing that's making me hesitate a bit is the toilet situation! I'm just not coordinated enough to use an Indian style loo! When you were out and about for the day in India, were there western style toilets available?
I only saw western style. They almost always had toilet paper; although, I carried paper in my pocket. Hope this helps! Bev PS Have fun and let us know how it goes!
Thank you Bev. You've sold me! India here we come.
What a relieve to read her response.
I already booked 😅, I had knee surgery but still suffer from knee pain, squat is not a position I can hold without pain 😢
Of course there are Western toilets here. Please don't worry about this
@@catherinenightingale4137 Hello Indian here!! Avoid visiting Delhi and Agra. Visit places like Kerala, Goa, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Ladakh, Shimla, Gangtok, etc.
Love your review. Apologies for the bad experiences but it is getting better. Waiting to see you back.
We had a great time and plan to return!
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Welcome to India ❤🎉. Pls do visit southern india
Thanks. We do want to return to southern India.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
😊🙏❤️
Thanks for watching.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/