I spent three weeks in India in February/March, 1999. It was a very interesting trip. I very much enjoyed the time there. People seemed to be very friendly and easy to talk to.The first week I spent in Delhi and Kolkatta (formerly Calcutta). These cities are quite crowded. Especially in Kolkatta the traffic is something to behold. It was fascinating.One issue you need to be aware of when you visit Delhi (and I assume other cities as well): Don't take one of the transportation organizations at the airport to get downtown. They severely overcharge you. I paid 5 times as much as with a taxi. Take a taxi and make sure you arrange a price. Ideally, have him use the meter, that is the cheapest way.
One noticeable difference between the USA and India are the stores. There are no department stores or convenience stores in India, only small individual stores specializing in something (meat, fish, luggage, underwear, hardware, etc). Negotiating the prices is an absolute must, otherwise you get seriously over charged.
The tour was organized by Explore, an adventure travel organizer. The tour was very well organized. We traveled in a small bus and had one Explore tour guide throughout the whole trip, helped by local guides. There were plenty of empty seats in the bus so there was no problem with fighting over seats during the trip. Some meals were included in the tour, but not all of them. The other people in the group were of different backgrounds, mostly middle age. They were mostly on time for departures, except for one woman who was late several times. I can recommend this organization.
From Delhi I was on a bus tour that visited three tiger reserves and a bird sanctuary. We also visited several temple areas, palaces, mosques, and of course the Taj Mahal.
The first stop was the tiger reserve at Sariska. Lots of deer, antelope, wild boar, and birds. Tigers however in that reserve are very reclusive, they are very rarely seen there.
The next stop was Jaipur and the Amber Palace. Very interesting architecture. We took an elephant ride up to the palace on the hill.
Next was the tiger reserve in Ranthambhor. Ranthambhor is the most scenic of the tiger reserves IMHO. Tigers are seen quite frequently. And other wildlife is also plentiful, including many birds.
Next stop was the bird sanctuary at Keoladeo in Bharatpur. The masses of birds in that swamp area is astounding. Storks, cranes, pelicans, herons, etc, etc. The snake-bird and the stork are two examples from that sanctuary.
On the way to Agra we stopped at Fatehpur Sikri, a city build in 1569 and abandoned only 16 years later. Very interesting red sandstone buildings with intricate carvings.
In Agra we first visited the Agra Fort. There are many interesting buildings in this fort.
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