I appear to have stumbled across The Daily Mail comments section again, would someone guide me to the exit?

Punishment for us charging something similar for visas.

I suggest for those that want to **** of any countries, this is not the forum to do. If u didn't notice, this is HOT DEALS...

Ps: India's middle class is equivalent to the population of Western Europe, and their disposable income is higher also... And they are one of the more peaceful of the major countries of the world.

​India will become a superpower when ...

1. Everyone pays tax to provide the foundation for infrastructure, health, schooling etc
2. The black economy is removed - no more handing over cash when you buy a house !!
3. Corruption at every level from a poor peasant, police officer to government ministers is eliminated

So in summary, India has the GDP and intellectual capability within its people to be a super power. However with their selfish values and rife corruption it will NEVER be a superpower.

About time, it's a wonderful country and in the current climate reasonably safe compared to some (depending upon which part you visit)

Scalding! Top work op!

Excellent find. Good work OP

Very hot! Love India ... Lovely people

Great news. Super hot for me.

Punishment for us charging something similar for visas.

Great find, thanks for posting! Put off going back for ages because of the strange visa prices, especially for UK nationals ... Hope they don't change their minds again! Heat added :-D

As patg2005 says ALL visa prices & conditions are typically reciprocal. India has cut its prices & lifted some its restrictions in a bid to attract more visitors. £100 is a lot of money to the Indians who would like to visit the UK. Like the Chinese, they are going for the Schengen visa as that allows them access to most European countries...
Just checked; UK visa costs £85 to apply and then £324 for one year...

Does the visa only last 30 days though?

Just to be clear, the price of the visa hasn't dropped, that'll still be the same at around £100 but this will be enough for most people, giving you 30 days. This is still very expensive but it's MUCH more convenient than applying for the standard visa - a process I'll be going through at the end of the year as I'll be looking for the full 6 months stay.
It's about time they offered UK passport holders this as other nationalities have had this option for around a year already.
We charge a lot for Indians to enter our country and so their government returns the favour, hence the high prices.

They should allow visa on arrival, it would be so much more convenient

this is a good trend. hope things improve in future with modi government on the helm

What about people of Pakistani descent?
My wife's visa has been in Delhi since March last!

I suggest for those that want to **** of any countries, this is not the forum to do. If u didn't notice, this is HOT DEALS...

Ps: India's middle class is equivalent to the population of Western Europe, and their disposable income is higher also... And they are one of the more peaceful of the major countries of the world.

I remember having to go to the Indian embassy in London about 10 years ago when I went to India. It was a Kafka-esque experience. Queue to get in tthe building, queue to get a ticket, queue to get a stamp,..with the passage of time, it has become something of a fond memory but at the time, it was a bloody hassle. The actual visa stamp was an exotic full page in the passport, quite something to behold at the time for someone used to nowhere further than Majorca.
India is a beautiful country, I would definitely recommend a holiday there to anyone.

Oh please we not here for argument !! Just chill......

about time they were bought in line with visa entry fees from other countries. such a complicated visa entry system and has been weighted against the uk for so long. great news. (still looks a complicated process though from a brief read)

​India will become a superpower when ...

1. Everyone pays tax to provide the foundation for infrastructure, health, schooling etc
2. The black economy is removed - no more handing over cash when you buy a house !!
3. Corruption at every level from a poor peasant, police officer to government ministers is eliminated

So in summary, India has the GDP and intellectual capability within its people to be a super power. However with their selfish values and rife corruption it will NEVER be a superpower.

​BTW amazing place to visit and heat for the deal !!

Brilliant news. Heat here.

Thanks for the post. I love my India.

Rapes have increased to four an hour and a place to avoid for women. Worth looking into these security protection apps if is still desperate to go and risk it.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-19/four-rapes-an-hour-spur-personal-protection-apps-in-india

Gutted! Recently bought mine for £100 for trip next month.... Great news for future trips though. Cheers OP

I appear to have stumbled across The Daily Mail comments section again, would someone guide me to the exit?

Same.

Much awaited deal. Thanks for sharing.

And guys, every country has its problems and its fair share of good and everyone could go on and on about it.

But lets not forget this is a Deals website and please stick to the point. if you like the deal vote hot, if you dont vote cold but stop commenting childish comments here. Grow up and go have some fun rather yhan criticising any country for that matter.

Indian visas are expensive throughout the western countries. The amount of tourists visiting India is about 23 million a year including business travellers. London alone gets 12 million. Tourist revenue is incredibly important to India , not that you would know given the lamentable way the India tourism dept handles the promotion of that country. A significant amount of tourists are budget travellers , some of whom spend months there. Though 'budget' , those people do spend significant money there, money that is important to the cheap restaurants and tea stalls. The Indian tourist board aspire to have high end travellers visiting their wonderful country. Part of the reason many don't visit is the accurate perception that most people get ill in the first two weeks of their holiday - a statistic published by the Indian government.
India is an 'emerging' economy. It is , by many measures a 'rich' country that unfortunately fails its own people through corruption by its own politicians and civil servants.
The Indian topurist board must make it easier for people to visit India - initiatives like this will help people to discover an extraordinary country and its people

I'm looking to go to India at the end of the year, I've just checked the VFS website and there is no mention of this. I normally pay around £100 per person, where do I apply for this and get this for £39. Thanks

Poor attempt at saving face.

more priceless quotes from pew41:

"Most of the city is off limits.
I got robbed on the copacabana Boardwalk at 7pm.....so your not safe even in the main tourist areas."

&

"China is horrible."

I was enjoying the comments, until they got deleted. Hot deal nonetheless.

Luckily the OCI card is handy for us, one off fee for free multiple entries to india for life.

Now I just need a cheap Goa deal for November for a single traveler. :smiley:

For information purposes only, please check out how complicated the UK Government makes it for foreign nationals to visit the UK. Here is the official website, check it out.

https://www.gov.uk/visa-fees

There is a myriad of categories and sub- categories to choose and the cheapest visa for example an Indian visitor is Rs.8925 ..... which is a lot more than the £39 quid they charge us. Also not to mention the mandatory interviews you have to attend. This should give some perspective to the situations both ways. we are quite lucky in that visa requirements are usually simple for us to travel abroad.

Lol - Eligibility criteria

Eligibility

International Travellers whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sightseeing, casual visit to meet friends or relatives, short duration medical treatment or casual business visit.
Passport should have at least six months validity from the date of arrival in India. The passport should have at least two blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer.
International Travellers should have return ticket or onward journey ticket, with sufficient money to spend during his/her stay in India.
International Travellers having Pakistani Passport or Pakistani origin may please apply for regular Visa at Indian Mission.
Not available to Diplomatic/Official Passport Holders.
Not available to individuals endorsed on Parent's/Spouse's Passport i.e. each individual should have a separate passport.
Not available to International Travel Document Holders.
Not available to those who have a residence or occupation in India.
Not a persona-non-grata to the Government of India.
Not considered an undesirable person.

The last one - hmmmm undesirable person

great that e-visa price is reduced.. and moreover the pain of getting visa beforehand is now gone..
I have been to Kerala backwaters once on advice of my colleague.. its very good. They will make fresh fish from the lake, coconut and make curries as per you order.. great experience. and also Ayurveda massage...

About time. The hippies out there for six months at a time spending next to no money didn't mind the super expensive visas because it averaged out to a negligible fee over the course of several months but it was killing the high value tourist sector. Afterall, who in their right mind is going to add £140 to the cost of a 10 day holiday in India when they could go elsewhere and have that cash in their pocket?
Thanks for posting the link. It's gone into my favourites for next winter.

Remember the Imodium.

You mean no more bribing corrupt officials in Nepal to get your India Visa? I loved the week long dance we had.

Fire cant be put out with fire!

Punishment for us charging something similar for visas.[/quote

Check your facts before you call India poor. You are poor that's why you are probably on this site every minute of the day looking for cheap things and most probably eating benefits from Indian workers taxes. Why would you need to open this post if India is such a poor country? What was the need for you to comment if clearly you have no intentions of going India? (Because you can not afford it)

NRI's need to be charged £500 for a visa. Ba**ards leave the country and then get a foreign passport and then don't invest in India.

Good spot op! Heat.

You should be Paid to go to that Place not the other way around!

On the other side its good to be around so many middle class people nshah109 said earlier:-)

Vote on the price not your bigoted views.

It costs about £90 to pay for a visa to come to the UK. A 100 question visa form. 6 months payslips/ bank statements. Sponsors letters etc etc etc.
And they still reject it.

Ignorance is bliss. on HUKD

oh trust me ,middle class in India is not the same thing as middle class in UK :wink: They may think themselves that they are middle class but once you actually see that ''middle class'' you will soon change your mind.

why anyone would want to go there. don't get it.

Very Hot - a bit like Goa in November! Apart from Air India which I just wont use anymore, Visas were the only thing stopping me going every year!

Self-prescribed antibiotics? Good one.

Personally, I am happy to take Imodium to get me through the day ... then leave my immune system to deal with the issue when I have the time available.

Battering your immune system with unnecessary antibiotics - that's a fools game.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-33976635

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/antibiotics-why-are-we-taking-so-many-and-why-is-that-such-a-bad-thing-10460139.html

​nshah suggested they were and he said there are as many as the population of western Europe
obviously his statement is a big lie

PLEASE don't travel outside of your home town. You sound like an absolute weapon

Great news. Heat added!

​an average English person can afford to travel there but can u say the same about an average person from India. I don't look down on poor people but they are poor.
be realistic!
I've never been there but documentary films on TV usually don't lie

I highly recommend Goa :smiley: my Motherland :smiley:

Using World Bank's definition of middle income families to be those with per capita income between $10 to $50 per day
although surely u can afford to live a good life over there on that income

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_in_India

Get real. I've been hospitalised by these bugs and suffered weeks of misery because I didn't go down the antibiotic route. Never again.

As for you Imodium, maybe you should read the packet before you self medicate. It should not be taken if you have bacterial diarrhoea - which is exactly what most travellers get.

bad deal UK should not be allowed e visa to many poor people here

Indian democracy = one man one vote one bribe!

Do you prefer the name Dr Dre, or Dr Fox?

:man:

P.S.
Just a thought - it may have been your propensity to self medicate that made you weak in the first place. Antibiotics are a last resort - they shouldn't be a first port of call when you get a dicky tummy!

So many idiotic replies on this post by absent minded, ignorant people.

Fantastic find, fantastic country, fantastically HOT :-)

LMFAO! afraid of deranged traitors to humanity.

Simply a case of cleared all my auto-fill data and passwords from my browser some time ago and didn't have my login at hand.

I do now and have posted.

For all the closet racists out there;



1 million Indian troops served in the Great War, 75,000 of them died. Remember that before you tell them to "go home".

About time. ITs still £39 though and only 30 days - Thailand/ Singapore/ Malaysia and many more are either no cost and /or longer visa validity times.

To all those that have made unwarranted derogatory
comments about India and its people on this thread -
Shame on you.

You seem to have no clue about the place people or incomes, have never visited and claimed to have heard bad things about it. You seem very bright.

All the best with your ignorant life! I for one love India and this is a hot deal. The last time I went, 2014, I had a lovely time. Great hotels, lovely people and you were treated with respect everywhere you went. Unlike say London where you get treated with hostility and rude people at every corner.

OMG!!! I actually agree with something you said. Cipro is if for when you are really ill from confirmed (by a Dr) infection. Otherwise, lots of bottled water and peeing to flush your gut and and stomach of any bacteria (imodium if you are travelling). I am going to lie down now!

Do you really get treated like that in London? I don't live there...but I did stay for 2 months over the summer - and I didn't experience any hostility - and in fact had lots of v.positive experiences.

I can't remember what it was we disagreed about in the past. But at least we agree on how to flush out a bad case of Delhi Belly!

I dont get treated like that in london either

Thankfully I now live in leafy Surrey and the folk here are much nicer and accommodating when compared to London. But that is just my perception. Yours may vary from mine, and I accept that. I was just putting my point across that India for all its deficiencies is a very nice holiday destination that costs very little especially when compared to many other holiday options.

You must be a softie:-)

Really. Driving in London? Getting a train? The tube? Finding a parking space? Asking someone for help or directions. Get outside the M25 and you notice a remarkable improvement in behaviour in all those aspects of life. People are polite and let you get on first rather than push you out of the way as they do in London. You have to live outside the M25 to realise how much nicer life is when people are polite and courteous.

I am. I was bought up and taught to be polite and respectful to others. Which is sorely lacking within the M25.

You need a more unique username - I'd then be able to spot you from a thousand yards...like a myriad of other HUKD'ers that have red flags alongside their names :wink:.

(By the way, I don't actually know what we were discussing - or when. But regardless, let's make the most of the consensus built on this thread & move on :smiley: )

lol

I hardly have a "propensity to self medicate" but there is a time and a place to reach to the pills. I've been travelling regularly for 30 years and I know how to treat the runs just as I know the indications that might suggest that it's something more than a simple bacterial bug.
Antibiotics are not a last resort, they are a prudent treatment that saves days of misery and while I would agree that you shouldn't start popping pills at the first sign of loose stools, not taking then once you know you have a bug is just dumb.

Oh and antibiotics are a far, far better option than the dumb ass quackery that abounds in India, with people relying on everything from Homeopathy and Ayurveda to swigging colloidal silver in their misguided search for a cure for common ailments.

Its about time , it was supposed to come into effect last year but glad it's done now , my mum and dad paid so much for their visa's last time , but has some one said they were charging us so much because we charge them the same , does any one know if the fingerprint rule has come in or is it already in , i would love to go to GOA it looks such a beautiful place and a lot of people who have been there rate it very highly and said its so cheap to eat and drink , but it costs so much to get there i.e the price of the visa'a and flights even some places to stay are so cheap or dear depending on where you want to stay , but i believe the best time to go is around the xmas time for your 1st time

So many idiotic comments about another country.

You want (expect) other places to be like where you live? Stick to Skegness or Blackpool. I bet most people making these comments have rarely ventured past their local Job Centre.

You should try walking through Derby then.

Brighton



River Thames

I had an ear infection a few weeks back (brought on by 7 days of wallowing in the sea/pool in Portugal). My family insisted I get antibiotics as soon as the symptoms started. I decided to duke it out with the infection. Anyway, after 4 days of pain & painkillers, my body did what it is designed to do, and fought off the infection. My immune system is all the better for it.

The problem with so many people in the UK is that we instantly dive for the antibiotics - forgetting that they are expensive to find and make....and becoming ever less effective due to over-use.

If you are strong enough to take on whatever illness you are dealing with on your own, then that is definitely the course to take. I guess you are probably at the point where you'll never know how capable your body could have been in dealing with such illnesses.

Hot
Would love to go again one day
T

"Do you really think people are utterly stupid here?"

Not knowing what 'disposable income' means might not get you into the 'utterly stupid' class, but it's not far off.

i dont understand this voting of hot and cold , but to say your voting cold because some one puts up a good deals and asking you to be kind and vote hot just shows that your not a kind person , they have asked you to be nice and vote hot but you decided to not be nice and vote cold , why not just vote hot or cold on the deal because thats what your supposed to be voting on isnt it , or am i getting it wrong , if you want to be horrible and vote cold just because you got asked to vote hot then i'd hate to ask you for directions or any type of help if i needed any , just shows what type of person you are really , the same goes for the one who said SAME , did you ever get bullied at school or as it seems was you the bully

"Have you been to India?" Yes. Many times. That's why I had to laugh when you decided to drone on about the "holy river of Ganges (or as we classify it here - toxic sewer)" while posting a picture of the Yamuna river.

I did the same thing 15 years ago. I now have a 60% hearing loss in my right ear.

if u enjoy watching people taking a dump in the street india is for you.

Doubtful

I would love to go to India to see taj mahal and I don't see safety as a big concern.

Don't know why people call India a poor country when they have satellite orbiting mars and missions to moon or even massive $40billion defence budget. probably the issue is their ruling elite with corruption and extreme religious views.

i think the UK's system is the way it is because of the people who want to stay here because of the benefit system we have , there is no such thing in india so thats why our system is the way it is i think because it would be a very easy way to get into our country instead of jumping in the back of a lorry dont you agree ,its what i think any way

Jeezz, didn't realize that HDUK community had numerious bigoted closet racists. Who cares what someone on the TV told you, go explore the world and form your own opinions.

Hate to break it to some ppl out there, if we are on HDUK we are all poor to some extent or other that we can't just go out and buy what we want on a whim.

Illegal immigrants don't have access to the benefits system. Stop reading the Daily Mail.

its not even because of the benefits system you bozo. illegal immigrants probably would not qualify for any benefits. what they would do is get cash in hand jobs and would work until they got caught. but the amount they earned, even if it was below minimum wage would be far more than what they would get in India.

yeah seen that myself in streets of the UK on a friday/saturday night...hahahahahaha

some of the ignorant views on here..WOW.

So if we all vote hot when someone asks us to or don't vote cold when asked to then how do we tell if everyone else thinks a deal is genuinely hot or cold. Simple.

Its a beautiful country with amazing people. You get scammers everywhere but the general hospitality of the general people, is amazing. I was in a village once and a paraglider landed mistakenly in the fields of the village. the locals went to his aid, invited him to his house, fed him, let him take rest in his house and then arranged transport for him to go where he needed to be. all out of their goodwill. they just would not take any money off the guy.

Well you and the person you originally replied to have just done exactly what you're complaining about. Classic. :confused:

Not at all. We simply did the opposite we were asked to even it out. Anyway I'm not arguing on the internet. Enjoy your day.

it's not just about the handouts. indians come here to take advantage of free education and free healthcare, both of which are sub standard and expensive in India. They also get to feel at home here with easy access to bollywood, temples, mosques and ethnic ghettos.

its uncanny how only certain types of deals get voted cold based on everything but the value for money on the deal.

and in return for the education you get the DR's, Nurses etc etc without which the NHS and other orgs would crumble or at the very least struggle.

how about UK medical graduates who **** off to Australia/New Zealand etc after getting a education in our UK institutes? Wheres the bloody loyalty in that? thats one of the things killing the NHS. UK educated indigenous medical grads, once qualified go and leave the country thus putting the strain on the NHS where we have to recruit from abroad.

Expensive and waste of time before so gave up and never bothered again.

Plus not keen on the gang rape thing being acceptable.

Hey Mickey, although I don't share your openion you have made it in a fair and reasonable way. I have been lucky enough to visit India several times for work+holidays. It is a HUGE country with HUGE population and extreamly poor people aswell as extreamly rich people. In regard to the point of Indians coming to UK seeking benifits; I don't believe that to be true apart from a very small number of criminal element perhaps. Also did you know that non EU people are not eligable for benifits in UK unless they meet very strict and only after many years of living, working and paying taxes can they claim many benifits.

As for India not having benifits, did you know that fuel is subsidised, food grains, etc etc even education & goverment jobs if you are from a minority/ poor/ backward community this includes Muslims ( roughly 180 million people)

But true. As a result of the damage to my middle ear, I developed Meniere's disease, am deaf and have episodes of vertigo.

shhh, not allowed to post truth and facts. If it's not shown on FOX news and printed in the Daily Mail, it's untrue!

Yes, it's the selfish values of the subcontinent that's holding it back and not the absolute mess of a country we left after pillaging it for 200 hundred years.

lolzers.

Absolute toilet. I'll go somewhere clean and not have to pay for a visa.

there was a documentary on BBC in which Indian men openly supported gang rape

Exactly. India, one of the leading world economies and exporters prior to the British invasion, became one of the poorest with ruined exports (other than the ship loads transferring the wealth back to Britain) during colonial times. It's only been 68 years since the British left and already they have recovered to be one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The worlds 3rd largest armed forces, a nuclear power, space missions and satellites the British could only dream of if it weren't for the rest of Europe and some of the most friendly people in the world. Oh yes they have some criminals living amongst them. Lets not mention the best food in the world and also some of the best looking people!

Don't be so ignorant.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25961213

The UK seems desperate to attract Indian tourists. If they were as you falsely claim, mostly staying here, this wouldn't be happening.

How Britain is trying to attract Indian tourists

Some 15 million Indians travelled abroad in 2013, but that is tipped to reach 50 million by 2020.
Countries such as the UK are stepping up efforts to tap into that demand.

I think you've been reading too many tabloids....

​the reason is that London is overpopulated and people are rushing all the time
you know this I know this

​as a matter of fact I wasn't quite sure but I looked it up
why do u specifically care about disposable income..why don't you just say income?
do u want to confuse people?

...it matters because total income alone is not an effective way of determining wealth.

For example, living in London, you would need probably £50k just to break even....and then have ZERO disposable income on which to spend on luxuries like holidays etc.

Living in India on the other hand is vastly less expensive....so a wage of say £20k could (for arguments sake) give that Indian worker more disposable income than their vastly higher paid UK counterpart.

So it is conceivable that the Indian middle class - though lower paid - may actually have more disposable income than the equivalent middle classes in Europe.

Thanks for confirming you have no idea on what you were commenting on.

There is a huge difference between ones income and ones disposable income.

Have a think. The benefits payment you get every week. That's your income. How much of the DWP money you receive goes on your living costs? Your smoking, alcohol, going to the pub to get hammered, the rent for your social housing costs. Mcdonalds burgers and frozen pizzas to eat. Add all that up. Then subtract it from what you had. The end result is your disposable income.

Now you can spend that on things you don't need. Like a holiday!

But I do apologise. I didn't intend to confuse you, but it seems that wasn't particularly difficult.

This deal hot, hot, hot

For any racist sorts about to comment....have a little chew on this;

You do, it's called voting.

Aid to India has been phased out. This year should be the last. Don't be so ignorant to think we don't get anything in return for this 'aid'. Further, total foreign aid to ALL countries amounted to 0.7% of the UKs GNI. There are also calls from Indian MP's for the UK to pay back it's debt (reparations) to India which was accumulated during WW II. £1.25 Billion is still owing to India by the UK.

Awesome, I gave up when I tried to get a visa last year. I read they were planning to bring the e-visa in. No excuses now I'll definitely be visiting soon. Visited a lot of countries and heard so many amazing things from other nomads about India. :smiley:

Really, Did you ever try to get a residence permit for India or even to try to renew your visa while still in the Country- NO. You must leave and return with a new visa. And don't even think about working there.

Not forgetting we left a complete infrastructure- roads, railways, thousands of magnificent buildings including rail stations etc. none of which have hardly been updated since independence.

Great deal! As an employee of the British government they only gave me a 30 day visa anyway, despite paying the full 6 month fee of nearly £100, so this will not only be loads cheaper, but so much easier to get, Thanks!

Sizzling HOT!

So go and see it for yourself rather then listening to people's S#!t or are you too poor to go?

I went to India at Christmas as my father in law is Indian (worked his whole life for the NHS) and wanted to show us around now he is retired. We only had two weeks due to both working in schools but made the most of it. Always felt safe and welcomed and most of the trip we did as Indian tourists (in the sense we didn't stay in flashy hotels or go in air conditioned buses). Got to see numerous places at Dehli, Agra and Jaipur before flying to Kolkata (his turf) and taking a two day trip to Puri. Taj Mahal is busy outside but quieter inside. The roads are insane and you have to experience that. Highly recommend a visit. Even the places we stayed for about £4 a night were more than adequate and you get real Indian hospitality. I was nervous to go but it's actually an enjoyable place (albeit yes there's plenty of politics to sort out!).

Great deal, thank you for saving money for our every year's trip to India!
For those who still think India is not a place to go, read the REAL history of India written by Maanoj Rakhit available on line for free!

This December, we want to go to KERALA, such a fab place!

yes it's amazing what can be achieved with millions of slaves. Lets not mention the possibility they might not have wanted any of it.

400m middle class people, that's almost the population on Europe. Right now India is the fastest growing economy in the whole world. Only country to reach Mars on the first attempt. India's rape rate comes out in the open which is why you know of it, look at all the undercover things that happen in England, Prince Andrew, Ted Heath ex priminster, Jimmy saville do you need to me go on? Look at what the church system was doing 70s and its all still coming out now after these pedo's have died! India wouldn't be so poor if Britan had left our things where they belong. India is not made of stolen goods. How many things in the British museum are actually British? 5000 years of Indian history, never invaded another country yet conquered the whole of Asia right up the Japan without lifting a single weapon with Hinduism and buddism. I can go on if you like. Until then, get your facts right.

If you like India, then enjoy the smell of sewers, thank this poor guy for attempting to clean it for you


Having his morning bath..

Did you have to post it twice , got a bit too excited I think

When was the last time you heard of a gang rape and killing on a bus over here?

Do you know the rat rate in London? It's 4 rats to 1 human. How clean is this??
If it wasn't for India this country would be speaking German! Over 2million soldier fought for you and 250,000 died! More then all of British army! 50% of the food you eat is Indian. And what's your national dish?? CURRY. Indian. Where's your culture? Check your history, India had the first undergound sewage system in the world, 1000yrs before the Romans.

Why did you have to read it twice? Got too excited I think.

I like how people say India can be a superpower when it sorts out its corruption. Newsflash. EVERY DAMN COUNTRY is corrupted and this is before and after a country becomes a major player.

thank you very much for the post

Indian here. Most of the criticism are correct but you should vote only on the deal. There are very good reasons not to travel to India( its not for casual traveller) and there are plenty of good reasons to travel too.

I went to Kerala last summer and it was fabulous. Went to Goa over Christmas and New Year last year too and was one of the best holidays my family and I had.

Goa has superb beaches and the food in the beach shacks is so cheap and top notch quality!

Currently on annual family summer holiday in Dominican Republic and going to Goa again next Easter.

I really don't understand why people post negative comments. This is not not a travel forum. If you want then log in to Tripadvisor!

If you like the deal vote it hot, if not vote it cold. Simples!

Other than that travel if you want and don't if you don't want to - each to their own.

India has a population of 1.2 billion. The UK has 64 million. There are over 18 times the number of people in India compared to the UK. Logically, there'd be at least 18 times the amount of rape going in India on as there is in the UK (and I say "at least" because culturally significant parts of India, especially rural villages, are lagging behind in terms of views of womens' rights, and that includes institutional issues such as not taking rape claims seriously, etc etc).

Additionally, it'll be alot harder for an entire nation to go from 3rd world to 1st world when there's 18 times the number of people (and land wise India is 13 times bigger than the UK). Just look how long it took us to roll out ADSL broadband outside of the major cities, and we're a highly developed nation with a good (albeit slowly dismantling) public sector and welfare system.

Any stats or negative pictures need to be considered within context, otherwise they're meaningless.

​it is not silly and factual.

it is condoned and women blamed for inciting it upon themselves and very common.

A 3 year old article, but gives you an idea on what foreign financial aid is really for. I'm sure some of it goes to the reported recipients.

Last week India rejected the British-built Typhoon jet as preferred candidate for a £6.3 billion warplane deal, despite the Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell, saying that Britain’s aid to Delhi was partly “about seeking to sell Typhoon.”

04 Feb 2012

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/9061844/India-tells-Britain-We-dont-want-your-aid.html

I doubt it's been reported in the Daily Mail.

great deal..voted hot

Just got to call BS on the whole 'Britain would be speaking German if it wasn't for India'.

Britain would be speaking German if it wasn't for the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. Operation Sea Lion could not go ahead without air and naval supremacy. Germany never gained either of those. The only other way Britain would be beaten is if we had been starved into submission by the U-Boats. The Royal Navy (and the US Navy) are the ones we have to thank for preventing that.

India played a role in the peripheral war which was against Japan. Indians certainly helped shorten the war - but they really played no real role in ensuring Britain survived those first crucial years.

Also, trying to claim one country or another is culturally superior is ridiculous - as is that claim of yours that 50% of all the food we eat in Britain is Indian. That, my friend, is statistical bull shizen

You should try reading before you just randomly reply. Your little rant makes no sense in the context of the message to which you're supposedly replying to. I berate you for your comments about Indians overstaying and you then go off wittering about how hard it is to get a working visa and extending visa's - have you tried getting working visas all over the world? Did you find any that just let people wander in with no issues? Does this country just allow Indian's to stroll in for work with no issues??

At the end of the day this post was great to let people know about the new addition to the Indian visas that we can apply for. Shame it brought out all the xenophobe's.

I'm going back to India in November for 5 or so months and this won't be of any use to me but I've still given it heat.

The only down side to this is that there'll be more of the annoying 2 week package holiday crowd from over here, complaining about the heat, the smell, the beer....

Hey Bender , i see you really like this place , but india is a 3rd world country and if it was not for the corruption all the tourist money would go back into the infrastructure and in more bin collections , more bins better sewarage and all the rest of it thats needed to make it a better place , but if you walk down any city centre in the uk you will find loads of rubbish , the rest you put about the arranged marriages , the female mutilation and rapes and womens rights and cows pooing everywhere well do you live some where that dogs dont do it in the street , the arranged marriages are being done in the UK along with dogs going the toilet in the streets and the parks and its not that long ago that women over here got the right to vote , have you been to india or are you from india , because its not the only place that has all this , but im glad that people who have been there have enjoyed it that much they go back over and over and over some people have been over 12 times so it must hold some appeal to these people who also help the indians as much as they can , i dont know what you get by trying yo put it down , because it shows you are a bigot because everything you have put happens in the UK and other countries around the world , theres some countries where worse things happen why did you not high light that , if you dont have nothing nice to say , then dont say nothing at all , thats an old saying which got drummed into me by my parents , but hey thats just me , but it was good to see this post as it does show you are a bigot , why dont you say something about the OP

Please use full stops ( . )

A bargain is not always a bargain. Given the horrendous culture of sexual harassment (Google "Eve teasing") and the highly publicised and horrific kidnappings and sexual torture of foreign tourists, I wouldn't go to India if you paid me. And I have Indian grandparents!!

(FYI - FACTS are not racist. They are just facts. Criticising a backwards culture is not the sam thing as being racist.)

genuine question but do the indians have to pay for a visa to come to the UK. I don't know the answer hence the question.
I'm a believer in reciprochal agreements with regards access to countries etc...

But fortunately we won the war (70 years ago but somehow that doesn't matter) which is why everybody in Germany and Italy now speaks only English and Russian.

Can we get back on topic please?

Never been there, wouldn't mind giving it a try for hols but not if you have to pay to get in lol

Great country. I would like to go soon. Thanks OP.

Indians have outsourced their visa services to VFS Company. This company has freehand of admin charges whatever they can charge. Although, the visitor visa is only £95.00 for six months. VFS charge additional costs. £13.50 for admin fee. £10.00 for delivering visa (you cannot go to their office and collect the visa even if you are near to their office). £2.00 for sending you SMS messages. On top of that you have to pay 20% VAT for all these charges. Plus they have offices in the city centre and you have to pay at least £5.00 for parking charges. Now calculate the total charges for Visa. No wonder, the visitors hesitate to go to India for holidays.

Yet China has advanced far quicker than India. China also has a large population. This is the real comparison. Ask yourself why. The answers are in this thread.

I think i must know a few posters on this thread, been going to india at least once a year for the past 25 years, Great news Hot Hot Hot

I think i must know a few posters on this thread, been going to india at least once a year for the past 25 years, Great news Hot Hot Hot

Can somone body bother to post a direct link to apply for visa apart from commenting on eachother posts like kids

great news! hope people like us who were born in Pakistan can get visas online easily

Maybe you ought to practice what you preach, you take it off topic yourself (Germany, Italy, English and Russian) and then have the cheek to tell someone to get back on topic. Perhaps you could have directed it to the original poster who did it first, not the person who replied, but then it's clear it wasn't about getting back on topic, just an excuse to give your own off topic view. :wink:

its not the visa cost so much sometimes as the bloody hassle in driving to pick it up. why this cannot be near an airport is beyond understanding! i hate going to get a visa for China, it is expensive (considering the income in china) it is incredibly hard to park (got parking ticket last time cost me similar to the visa). After all the running around you get little to no service and trying to call any of these visa centers is totally crazy. when you consider that we are trying to make the planet green has anyone ever considered the fact that all the extra miles traveled to get these visas by all the travelers each each year make for a large carbon footprint and a lot of pain that is really unnecessary. Its clear the government does not give a damn about how much they inconvenience people and this is a glaring example of the way they treat us like cattle today.

Finally I can afford to leave the uk.

If any of you are going to India to see elephants this may be of interest to you.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3199391/Tortured-tourists-Chained-spot-20-years-Beaten-submission-secret-jungle-training-camps-terrible-plight-Indian-elephants-LIZ-JONES.html

goa <3

Sorry this is wrong its $60 or about £39 not anywhere near £100..see link
https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html

Great news at last but no if you arrive by ship,only air travel

op thank you for sharing. brilliant deal. this e system, makes it easier for the holiday I am planning to Bombay next year.

people making offensive comments toward India and Indian people... shame on you.

heat added.

​you sir are a moron. that. is. all.

The British empire was not a benevolent force spreading prosperity, law and order, technology, etc around the world. Its primary function was to amass wealth for our own dictatorship (monarchy) and their cronies. The positive aspects of its legacy are in part due to necessity (you've got to build infrastructure, law and order, etc in order to truly milk the resources of a country for years) and in part due to the values of some of its operatives (there can be good apples in a bad barrel).

However, this is the way of the world. Can anyone name a benevolent superior force which ventured fourth to spread joy and love? The Romans robbed us, yet like the Raj in India left behind some of the building blocks which formed the foundation of our subsequent rise.

India's two main issues are pervasive corruption and a lack of enlightenment. No Society will prosper when you can't do the basic things without having to pay bribes as it entrenches the power of those with privilege. Neither can a society prosper when you bestow power upon those your religion/cast/creed/stupid superstitions instruct you to. As from top to bottom the wrong people will end up running the Government, Businesses and Industry. While those with the skills, drive, intelligence and ideas to drive the country forward will be resigned to shovelling ****.

However, I disagree that they are a selfish society. In many respects they are a far more selfless and compassionate society then our own. Just look at the way they treat their elderly. How they can be happier then most of us on meagre resources. There's a lot that we've lost in our pursuit of material wealth.

Unfortunately its not easy for decent people to break the cycle of corruption once its taken hold. As an example if you need to sell property you pay the bribes or are dragged through the ringer for decades while every official does a go slow trying to extract his drop of blood. Even if you get past that there's question of Tax.

Seems easy doesn't it, pay what you owe. But with pervasive corruption the government sets what they call a government rate. Essentially they estimate the value of your land based on previous sales, so as to ensure you don't under pay. The problem is most previous sales have already under paid, so the government rate will lead you to underpay, in some cases several fold. As an honest person you insist on paying the correct tax based on the sale price. But now you're upsetting the gravy train. Buyers probably won't want to buy as their money isn't clean. And even when you find a buyer, officials and other people with vested interests in property will put pressure on you. Because of course you will have shown the government rate is BS and possibly cause an investigation and re-rating. Stopping future sales of similar property defrauding the state.

However, before we get too smug and comfortable we should remember power is cyclical. Nations upon which we currently sneer, were once rich, powerful and enlightened while the peoples of these isles were the idiots believing in the hoodoo and living in the shacks of the time. Look at the Romans now, or the Greeks often cited as the cradle of democracy, to see how easily the powerful and enlightened can fall.

having read the guide i cant see much difference to what i did last year

extract $62 approx £40


What are all the charges for integration?
SBIePay would charge an amount of USD 2 over and above the visa application fee of USD 60. These charges are charged to the applicant at the time of payment and a total of USD 62 is deducted from the card account of the applicant.

Make sure you don't stay in any motels or dodgy hotels if you are a female or going with with a female.
There are plenty of recent incidents where foreign women were sexually attacked.

​Haha! How do you sleep at night?

yeah my ancestors thought immigration was a problem until 1947...

is it a deal.....is it cheaper anywhere else.

And took away the Kohinoor. How about returning that?

Love India ! Thanks OP !

Take a guess on why not?

Thanks OP , I love India, very hot, great food and fantastic culture. Been a few times no hassles. This will help. You can not beat the Taj Mahal that is awesome.

why would anyone want to go visit india?????

I feel angry but feel sad that some people targeting country for being poor. Who made that country poor? This question no one will answer because it is British. India was one of top economy before Muslims and then British invaded. Yes that's true and I can share poof if asked. But anyway being poor is not crime. India never give any one trouble. Just chill have a great holiday enjoy and come back home. No one asking you to fix damage your ancestors have done

I am not an Indian or an NRI. I am disgusted how they go abbroad and become a citizen of another country and forget where they originally came from or help the less fortunate back home.

Hopefully yes....found them bureaucratic and not too helpful personally....

You should not forget that these so called British English men (robbers) robbed India for more then 60 years that's one of the reason why you are rich (so called rich). India is is still lot better nation then Britain in economic growth.

So many ignorant fools on here. I agree topps they probably been reading roo much daily mail or fox news.

They are numpties for sure. I am Pakistani but boy I want to visit India

I feel nothing less than positive wishes for the Indian nation and all its peoples....Just posted a deal!

There is mass corruption in the West. It is known as grey collar crime so just Because corruption is out in the open in the sub continent, it does not mean that corruption doesn't exist here.

It's certainly a step in the right direction - been there twice and love the country, but getting a visa was a right pain. £39 is still totally overpriced however...... free (like many other countries) would have been worth voting hot for!

Other countries may not charge for visas but a fair few do charge either immigration tax on arrival or departure tax on departure (in some cases both are charged). This can easily be around the £40 to £50 per person.

Personally if I want to visit a certain country then I will pay the visa/immigration/departure fee.

Went to Mexico two years ago and cost me £200 in departure tax (family of 5 and £40 per person fee). Yes, seems like daylight robbery but we wanted to go there so took the charge into consideration.

This year, £10 per person immigration charge for mandatory purchase of tourist card to enter the Domimican Republic.

All countries have their own fees and charges whether it's for a visa, departure tax or immigration fee.

If you want to visit a particular country then pay it or visit another country where there are no visa/migration the fees.

You pay your money and take your choice.

Paranoia and panic comes to mind. Bad combo

And that's exactly my point, so what was your rant really about?

Looking forward to my Vege Kerala food this winter with the cheaper visa

fantastic!!!

Any deals for Somalia? I fancy that next year

See my comment on corruption. Even giving to a charity in India is prone to abuse so how does an NRI make a difference in India. Earthquake in Gujarat resulted in Red Cross tents being sold privately !! Did UK donations get to the victims ?

Simply put an NRI is happy to live in a country where they can pay tax and benefit from that tax with health and education. They can't do that in India because no one trusts the government to spend one rupee on the people - ministers line their pockets and that completes the full vicious circle...so they bribe tax inspectors to pay no tax.

The country today with its new middle class and ultra high net worth individuals could collect billions in taxes if the corruption in all subcontinent countries (not just India) could be overcome and governments can win trust

Fascinating...But this is a deal site, not the letter section of the Gaurdian!

​patg2005, apols for my interjections. I've already voted hot. I love India, the people and the corruption .... would recommend to anyone who has not been..

Cool....

Its a bit better now, as it is managed by VFS. They apply a processing charge, but still takes away the hassle.

wow! After reading all this india looks like a great place! I don't understand now why so much of Indians are coming here, to that dirty, cold, unfriendly, close minded country with horrible food, weather, and customs. maybe go to that heaven on earth and stop complaining and making uk streets look (and smell) like Mumbai? don't forget to take with you those "great" Indian doctors and nurses. there is little difference between no doctor and Indian doctor, but no customer service is better than Indian standard customer service. true story.

Ouch, hotter than a camel safari in the Thar desert!! Cheers OP :smiley:

You don't have to pay when your passport to which the OCI is attached to expires. When you renew your passport and travel to India you need to take your old passport containing the OCI with you too. They allow you to do that as my family members have done that.

You can pay to have it transferred to your new passport but it is not the same fee as an OCI and is much cheaper. Nonetheless you still have to pay something.

Yes they do. Unfortunately our politics is full of these lies and deliberately misleading statements. Anyone that lives in this country pays Tax and the more money they have, the more they will pay in absolute terms. You can argue as a proportion of income they pay less then someone on minimum wage, but that certainly isn't the same as not "paying tax".

If you walked into your local Tesco's and bought a loaf of bread but were charged based on your earnings you may well tolerate it, so everyone got to eat. But you would quickly get fed up if the other people who's bread you subsidised continually lambasted you for not paying enough, or even had the nerve of accusing you of paying nothing. When in fact you paid £5 for a loaf they paid 40p for, or worse still they themselves didn't pay a penny their entire life. There are plenty of places that will accept with open arms a person that pays over the odds, not so money that will take on someone that needs subsidising, so I'm always hesitant to lambast net contributors.

Tax avoidance only seems to be evil when the guy thats better of then you is doing it. Its perfectly fine when you load up on fags and booze at duty free for example :/

Also welcome in India, I found the perfect landmark for him to visit.:

Mahatma Gandhi Setu Bridge

I understand what you're saying, but its also a forum and the mods allow some digression provided its somewhat related to the topic. While I don't agree with everyones opinions I think it would be a pretty boring place if all we talked about was the tight specifics of the deal.

Anyway getting "back on topic" I've voted hot. India is a wonderfully diverse country in terms of culture, history, wildlife, etc. You could spend a lifetime exploring and barely scratch the surface. Moreover, provided you understand the cultural differences and adhere to some common sense rules (as you should everywhere you travel) its very safe.

In fact as a hangup from the Raj many Indians still have a deference to English people. English is still part of many of their institutions including education, therefore you'll invariably find English speakers almost everywhere. Its very cheap, particularly given the current exchange rate of 100+ rs to the £.

The railways are a great cheap way to get around, but are busy so pre-book. Internal flights are also relatively cheap, but most involve travelling via Delhi/Mumbai Hub airports. So it can add unnecessary time. And at certain times of the year the North can be extremely foggy, meaning delays, so ensure you don't have a tight onward connection (they won't wait for you :/). And make sure you note the much lower luggage allowances against international flights, although excess baggage is cheaper then in the west. Its also extremely cheap to rent a car with driver (£30/day with a couple of hundred KM's/day included), but try and get a Jeep as the roads are crazy :/, so the bigger the better.

For a couple of quid you can eat like a king (and very good quality food, unlike some other cheaper destinations). Even in the hotels (except for the uber hotels) food and beverages are at most approaching Ask/Zizi prices, but for food we'd normally pay hundreds of pounds for at home.

My ethnic origin is North Indian, so feel free to ask any questions about Punjab. But I've also explored other parts. In fact my wife picked India for our recent honeymoon and despite spending 5 weeks there said she wished we had longer and can't wait to go back. She's white, but had no problems in terms of food or general treatment, in fact she was better treated then me in some places :/. We visited Amritsar, Jalandhar, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaipur, Ranthambore (safari), Agra, Delhi, Allappey, Varkala, Kovalam and Mumbai. So feel free to ask any questions about any of those as I only researched them all a couple of years ago. India Mike and trip advisor are also great resources with helpful and knowledgeable people.

Do try and explore outside the general package holiday destinations/hotels, you'll be richly rewarded in return.

I agree, well said. Pakistan is exactly the same as India, the rich stay rich and the poor continue to stay poor.

My ethnic origin is North Indian, so feel free to ask any questions about Punjab. But I've also explored other parts. In fact my wife picked India for our recent honeymoon and despite spending 5 weeks there said she wished we had longer and can't wait to go back. She's white, but had no problems in terms of food or general treatment, in fact she was better treated then me in some places :/. We visited Amritsar, Jalandhar, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaipur, Ranthambore (safari), Agra, Delhi, Allappey, Varkala, Kovalam and Mumbai. So feel free to ask any questions about any of those as I only researched them all a couple of years ago. India Mike and trip advisor are also great resources with helpful and knowledgeable people.

How long did it take you to do all the above?
Personally I would like to go Mumbai, Delhi, Goa, Rajihstan, Agra and few other places not just the big cities, I would like to do a lot, just need time and finances.

Pakistan is still a very young country. Basically started from scratch in a free for all, thanks to how the British decided to partition old India. It's also a pawn in the hands of the West, mainly because of it's geographic location (hmmm coincidence it was born in the way it was) and how easy it is to bribe major officials. It's still only really on it's second generation of people since inception. Beautiful place and generally fantastic people but don't expect to see any of the good on Western media.

If you dare to taste the REAL curry, head to where it was originated!
Good deal though...

dual nationality has its benefits.

Yes, that's what everyone keeps saying to me about Pakistan being a new country and yes the split/partition was not exactly done in a nice way. So many millions died, displaced/raped etc.

Yes, it's definitely a pawn for reasons which I shall not go into!

There seems to be a lot of sensitivity & denial over India being the defecating in public capital of the world

"According to UNICEF, the international relief organization behind the "Poo2Loo" campaign, an estimated 620 million Indians poop out in the open every day, dumping more than 143 million pounds of solid human waste and putting the public at risk for "life-threatening infections, diseases and epidemics."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=132&v=_Pj4L7C2twI

pooping on the beach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixJgY2VSct0

heres some video to supplement this post....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7CW7S0zxv4

Watched this some time ago. Man talks sense and facts.

Here, see for yourself ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7CW7S0zxv4

​Actually fire is often put out with fire. It's called a fire break.

New Delhi - capital.



Even Blackpool doesn't come close.

Holy Cow! Indians worship the cow as their mother and if this is what the do their mother is it any wonder it is the gang rape capital where women are treated like second class citizens? Women are forced to drape themselves in sari or burqa, western dresses were frowned upon and government officials openly punish couples who dare to celebrate love on valentines day.

Animals eh.....the UK version....

U K charge more than £100,00 for Visa from Poor Indian to come to U K,

Lol and if you think about it the population of Britain is 64 million and the population of India is 1.2 Billion. So comparatively there are a lot less rapes in India.

Lol, and how many rapes do you actually think gets reported in India, an absolute tiny percentage, so don't be so foolish.

Not sure why you're finding the subject funny, pretty sad. But you might want to get your own house in order before mocking others:

The devastating scale of sexual violence against women in Britain is exposed today by new research which indicates that the vast majority of victims do not report perpetrators to the police.
One in 10 women has been raped, and more than a third subjected to sexual assault, according to a major survey, which also highlights just how frightened women are of not being believed.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/unreported-rapes-the-silent-shame-7561636.html

http://www.surrey.ac.uk/mediacentre/press/2009/16532_between_7090_rapes_thought_to_go_unreported_and_94_of_reported_cases_dont_end_in_a_conviction.htm

The reason, they say, is that they have to gather large amounts of data on each applicant to ensure the application is pukka (good Indian word!) so that they don't out stay their visa and disappear into the ID cardless crowd of the UK populace. I imagine the number of UK citizens wishing to pull the same trick is negligible so it should be cheaper to dish out Indian visas. In a perfect world it would be ideal if none of us needed paid for visas at all.

I have practiced Law and there are many unreported victims of violence, sexual abuse and rape everywhere. Look at the lies of all the people in power ie the clergy men, the bbc, celebrities etc etc.

We live in a male dominated society... where the rules are made by the males. Just respect women

Its a big country and the lack of direct flight connections can make it time consuming to get around. Therefore I advise identifying your priorities and then posting on India Mike/Trip Advisor for help to fill in the gaps with destinations along the way that make logistical sense.

For us I had to visit Jalandhar/Amritsar to see family, since we'd recently got married. I'd never been Rajasthan so that was a priority for me. My Wife had never visited India so the Taj Mahal was obviously a priority. Safari was a priority, we've done a few African Safaris and love wildlife so wanted to see a tiger in the wild while we still could. Then we wanted to wind down with some nice beaches and culture of the south (something different from the North I'm used too).

So:

1) We flew into Amritsar (via Delhi), my family sent a driver, so we saw the border ceremony then headed to Punjab. Spent a couple of days in Jalandhar visiting family and my parents villages. Then back to Amritsar, visited the Golden Temple and got a flight to Jodhpur (via Delhi) the next morning.

2) My family arranged another driver here and we spent about 8 days doing Jodhpur -> Udaipur -> Jaipur. A couple of days in each city plus stopping of at interesting sites on the way between cities.

3) Ranthambore was logistically the best place to do the safari. But this was over NYE (New Years Eve), so my family got a local agent for this next leg of the trip as it ensured we'd get park tickets and a private jeep (gypsy) for the safari. We spent four days here doing morning and evening drives, including the customary NYE party at the hotel. On the last day we just did the morning drive, then headed of to Agra.

4) The driver was arranged by the same agent that did the safari and he also arranged a guide to join us for Agra (recommend a guide as the background narrative really adds to what you're seeing). We stopped on the drive from Ranthambore at the Red Fort where we met the guide and spent the rest of the day exploring the fort, before heading to Agra. Next morning we went to the Taj Mahal and mini Taj Mahal with the guide and then headed to Delhi (not much else to do or see in Agra to be honest). Delhi was a necessity to get our flight south, not really at the top of our priorities as I knew we'd have opportunities to stop off here on future trips as international flights to the North always transit through Delhi.

5) From Delhi we were supposed to catch a flight to TRV, but due to fog we missed the connection in Mumbai. So instead, being "helpful" they told us to catch the next days flight or go to Cochin instead. Fortunately we could re-arrange our driver to collect us from Cochin instead, so we flew to Cochin and headed straight down to Allapey. As this wasn't planned (we intended to to do Kerala the other way around) their weren't any great houseboats available so we just did a day trip instead and stayed at a really nice hotel on the river, with wonderfull landscaping and pools (can't remember the name now but can dig it out if needed).

6) After a couple of days we drove down to Varkala and spent 8 days here. Wonderful beach, views and water, but rough waves so be warned if you have young kids or aren't a good swimmer. This place is still largely un-developed in terms of tourism, so accommodation is average. But we found a nice hotel right on the beach with nice clean new rooms and a veranda/terrace on the beach. In exchange you don't get any of the hussle and bustle of the developed areas and aside from the odd Hippie and locals you have the beach to yourself.

We had our own waiter (Ajay) throughout who we got to know well, still exchange messages over FB. Every morning the local fisherman would come to sell his catch and haggle with the owner, which we watched from our terrace while sipping our coffee. Then Ajay would come and fill us in and ask what he should keep aside for us :smiley: (most people don't stay this long so we got "special treatment :smiley:"). In the evening they'd start a BBQ on the beach and prepare todays catch.

I've travelled extensively for work, so experienced some very good hotels and restaurants on works tab, but hands down this was the best sea food I've ever had (we ate like kings every night and all for a few quid). One night I had crab for which I have no suitable superlatives, but they never caught another one until the day after I left (which Ajay messaged to tell me asking if I was coming back for it :smile:). We spent our time here tumbling in the waves, lazing on the beach, walking the cliffs, joking with the shop assistants in the cliff shops/shacks. I'll be going back for that crab one day!

7) The driver then took us to Kovalam for 8 days of luxury and pampering at the Leela. Another great beach in terms of clear water, sand, scenery, etc, but this time its a fully developed tourist hotspot. The Leela beach makes for great fun as its private but adjacent to a local beach. So you can watch the locals going crazy on boats and in the water, but still have your side to yourself. Its also funny watching some of the men trying to sneak onto the Leela side then protesting their innocence as the security guard chased them down blowing his whistle.

We took the honeymoon package here (this was the pampering bit before we headed home). Which included a room in the more private club section (its a very big hotel), 1 massage and your own chef. It's supposed to be a two day package, but they agreed to multiply all this by four (as again most people don't stay that long).

The massages were so good, on top of the 4 free ones we took four paid ones (approx £30 for 1.5 hours, so still a lot cheaper then the UK, but far far better quality).

Over breakfast every morning the Chef discussed what we'd like to eat that evening. It was all included in the package, so was actually reasonable value compared to their standard tariffs. We weren't restricted at all, as he'd get the necessary ingredients during the day. So he walked us through some favourites, but also filled in the gaps of Indian cuisine we hadn't tried.

Kovalam is a busy place, so there's lots to explore and see. Although this was more the wind down section of our trip, so we largely walked along the sea, , swam in the sea and the infinity pool, lazed with cocktails at the Leela, haggled with shopkeepers for stuff we didn't need, tried a fishing boat trip, etc.

:sunglasses: We then flew out from TRV (local airport) to Mumbai. Spent a few days at the Marriot Juhu Beach, for some final immersion in Indian culture before heading home from Mumbai Airport.

If you plot the trip on a Map you'll see why it made sense logistically. We split the trip North to South. Split it into segments where we flew to a start point and then worked our way towards the next logical place to fly from (i.e. Flew West to Jodhpur then worked our way back East to Delhi).

Also the first half the trip was more active/hectic, going from place to place, site to site. But we kept this in the cooler North. And just as we were getting tired, we had the more laid back recovery in the hot south.

I have elaborated more on the Kerala portion as theres less readily available information online for that (other then the package hols type stuff). There's plenty available on the North/Golden triangle.

We preferred Kerala to Goa for a couple of reasons. Goa has the better night life, but that wasn't something we were looking for. Both locations have some wonderful picturesque beaches, which we did want. But finding clear water beaches is more of an issue in India. Thats something we prefer, and Varkala and Kovalam are arguably the best outside of the Andaman's (which are a pain to get to :disappointed:). Also we wanted to see Varkala before it turns into another Kovalam and wanted to experience a Keralan House Boat (although because of the reversal of our trip, Cochin -> TRV rather then TRV -> Cochin, we didn't get to overnight in one :disappointed:).

One other big advantage Kerala has is although there are Mosquitos, its not considered a Malarial zone like Goa we're anti malarial are advisable by most travel insurance companies.

Some pointers to consider that may not be obvious:

- The weather in the South is generally hot. We didnt experience any rain, but even during the rainy seasons showers tend to be heavy but short and sharp. Drying quickly due to the heat. So unless you're unlucky or go in absolute peak rainy season, you'd be unlucky to suffer a washout

- The weather in the north can get cold. Even in hotter regions like Rajasthan the evenings can get cold. Fog and rain can also cause havoc with flights, trains and roads. So research this carefully if traveling around like us. And take some warm clothes as even the best hotels often have average heating (the Taj in Jodhpur for example had to give us a room heater).

- Only drink bottled water and ensure it is sealed (they should crack it open in front of you).

- Avoid dairy. Only have heated milk. Our stomaches aren't used to the bacteria that Indians are accustomed to. We didn't suffer a single instance of food poisoning or even a the slightest hint of stomach issues by following this rule.

- Most shop keepers have cottoned on to the tourist rule of halving every price you're quoted. They simply double or even quadruple the prices now expecting you to be ecstatic once you manage to know it down to half. A common sense rule to keep in mind is to look at the inventory they hold. And estimate what it must be worth based on the price they are quoting you. Then point out to them if the goods are really worth that, they must have hundreds of thousands of pounds of stock and should invest in an armed gu

Sound like Greece, Italy Portugal, Spain ...

Heat ....

Its a lot cheaper than the UK visa fee for any one outside of EEC. UK charges £380 and no refund even if you are a visa. No sensible reason is ever given with refusal letter.

Wow calm down mate... These also include false claims you do know that

AT least in UK, rapists/child sex abusers get protection from high places....#JimmySaville & all the others...

UKBA charged nearly £2000 for my colleague's wife to come over and live with him in the UK, even though she's a citizen of canada.

so IMHO £100 for visa was like peanuts compared to the our UK visa charges.

Hot deal IMO. Thanks op

I've vaguely scanned through the comments but don't have the time to read 15 pages!

We've been trying to apply for these at work and unfortunately they are unable to accept payments from the UK at the moment and I was told if I know anyone in the US or Australia then to get them to pay for me.

They expect it may be back online in 2 days but I was also told they just don't know.

Source: Rang the helpline which is based in the Visa Centre in India when our payments weren't accepted.

UK is a great country and I am very proud of it but I don't care who gets in or go out of the UK as long as they come to make a living and not pose any threat to anyone.

By the way, if you are planning to visit India, I suggest you travel to hill stations such as ooty,kodaikanal,munnar,. I have been to these lovely places full of colonial tea estates and I will go back again

I was deliberately mimicking the OP's use of lol which you didn't seem to have a problem with indicating that your indignation with me was phoney and biased.

And your reply above is a straw man as nowhere did I suggest for a moment that rapes are not under-reported in the UK, quite the contrary, I know full well that they are, this article for instance says 15% of all rapes are not reported; no need to condescend me. Independent

My argument was that despite readily acknowledging the UK's very low reporting of rape, India's reporting of rape must be far lower, not higher as the OP speculated. The following is why and anyone that knows anything about India should know this: Rape-in-marriage-not-a-crime-Indian-court-rules

"Rape within marriage is not illegal in India which says everything about the position of women. We are donated for marriage rather than enter it as a partner. The ownership is with the man and whatever he does after marriage is acceptable", said Ranjana Kumari, a women’s rights campaigner who lobbied members of parliament on the issue.

"Under Indian law, what the judge has said is correct and that is horrifying. It’s easier for a woman to file a case for a black eye. If a woman is being repeatedly raped in a marriage and he does not use extreme violence, she has no recourse in law, there is nothing she can do", she said.

In some poor rural communities women do not even have a word for rape, rape as a concept is unknown. In a country where there is no such thing as rape in marriage and where rape is deemed acceptable against unmarried women in some rural communities also, rape must of course go massively unreported. I mean how can you report something that doesn't exist? If there is no such thing as rape in marriage then no crime as been committed to report. Banishing certain crimes is a great way of reducing their rates. Unfortunately millions of women in India have to grin and bear it; forced sex is normalised.

Now people can bury their politically correct heads in the sand and shout down anyone who posts this unpleasant "politically incorrect" fact, I mean there has been enough attacking, insulting and mocking of people on here as it is, mostly by you, and it hasn't just been against those making blatant derogatory and "unenlightened" comments about India that has met your wrath, it's been against anyone making a comment that doesn't remotely conform to your views that gets the 'Tops' treatment.

I like India but the truth has to be spoken about such things not censored because it might show a country in a bad light or because it's a bit culturally sensitive.

Maybe if you tried a little harder and not keep making sweeping generilaised comments others might be able to take what you say seriously.

Strawmans? Yes, unfortunately xenophobia is difficult to argue with, its so ingrained in the persons life, that giving blatant examples is the only way they see how stupid they sound.

No one is burying their heads or ignoring the problems, but why only concentrate on the negatives. Most people around the world are decent and have nothing to do with crime and are not out to hurt you. If you decide to visit another country for a holiday, its unlikely you will be attacked, raped, mugged and killed. Unless of course you're stupid enough to visit a war zone.

I'm not Indian, far from it, but have visited there many times. Respected the culture and their traditions and people there are either indifferent to you or go out of their way to be nice. That's not to say there aren't criminals trying to rob you, but there are all over the place.

As for martial rape, it wasn't that long ago, it wasn't even a criminal offence in England. People seem to forget very quickly. Probably because the Daily Mail and Fox News is their staple education.

If people expect every country to be exactly like where they live now, then that's the attitude they need to correct before deriding other whole nations.

Before your last comment I don't remember you saying anything other than sweeping negative generalisations about the place. The deal didn't defend Indian criminals, it was about the cost of a visa to get there. Following some peoples examples every time a deal is posted for a visit to any UK place somone could say 'don't go there somone got raped or attacked in that city'. Pretty stupid don't you think.

I think you have me confused with someone else because I haven't made any sweeping generalisations in this thread or any other concerning India. In fact I have only made two posts in here, both of which you replied to.

Good deal OP. Heat added.

------------


INDIA must be doing something right for us British to hate it so much ! They say, when people are jealous of you, be assured that you are on the right track ! My Indian counterparts have nothing to say about other countries, but whenever I see any article or news or British websites, most of the comments are negative.

Let us ask ourselves this question. Which other country do we admire or like other than the Great Britain ? Don't undermine the fact that we robbed all the commonwealth countries to make their wealth ours.

You are right ! I should have worded my comments better.

India.. A country that was fun looking back through rose tinted spectacles..
Very hard work at the time.. Dodgy food / dodgy people / dirt / grime / respect for life / begging / animal cruelty / bizarre ethics / customs etc etc

back to the subject matter

Definitely better getting a visa..
Not a nice prcoess to have to endure, especially for a female.. i got servied within 10 mins but they made my wife wait 2 hours.. They also would only talk to me rather than my wife even though it was her visa. women are second class citizens. sexism is massively wide spread

Unfortunate turn of phrase in the last sentence "for the rest of us... time to go back" Mr Farage will be happy to read that!
I won't though but will be pointing deal out to a couple of Indian friends who visit there yearly. HOT

Insane why women go here it's no safe at all despite the propaganda

Why risk your life, just go elsewhere and enjoy yourselves whilst having much better security

I'd take great pleasure in being unkind too and voting down your postings...But you don't do any...well done!

When you become a NRI, you cease to become an Indian. Because you ditched your own country and became a citizen of another country, you outta be banned from ever going back.

As a first time visitor to India I fancy the idea of the golden triangle tour but like the idea of traveling by train. Is that advisable rather than arranged driver etc? Do i need to be in an arranged group (which doesn't really appeal) or could I manage travel under my own steam.

Just in time to join the savagery

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/india-village-council-orders-rapes-sisters-150829145847675.html

Mind your language...do not write poor...you even can't imagine about the money in india.

I can "Imagine about the Money in India" having lived it first hand. The new visa is good because it welcomes tourists to India, with there pounds dollars and euros, rather than scaring them off!

you can check wiki...7 out of 10 international tourist come to Europe....Europe is widely depends in tourism industry...which is not a backbone of the country for growth...

Excellent comments all.....
Let's not even mention corruption!

​Suggest you read the article and then comment

If I felt like patronising you I would now find a similarly sickening story from the UK, it wouldn't be hard. But I can't be bothered. I suggest you visit India before making your narrow mind up.

I suggest you enhance your "knowledge"by facts and not derive it entirely from the news or the net.Well then,there will always be trolls

can someone please translate this?

LOL..you mean stacked away in tax haven's.. ;-)

hahaha Joke - 90% Pakistani have relatives they want to visit or never visited because of visa issues. Just money making scheme and nothing to do with humanity.

Eligibility

International Travellers having Pakistani Passport or Pakistani origin may please apply for regular Visa at Indian Mission.
Not available to Diplomatic/Official Passport Holders.
Not available to individuals endorsed on Parent's/Spouse's Passport i.e. each individual should have a separate passport.
Not available to International Travel Document Holders.
Not available to those who have a residence or occupation in India.
Not a persona-non-grata to the Government of India.
Not considered an undesirable person.

Nothing to do with passports. If you have even one relative with Pakistani heritage (a parent or grandparent) then you are essentially told you are going to be assumed a terrorist until proven otherwise and your visa application will take around 6-12 months to process, and may be rejected without appeal. Doesn't matter if you have a European Passport, and American passport, you are considered guilty until proven innocent.

Can you imagine if we had this kind of policy here. Imagine our government saying: "Americans can get UK visa on arrival. UNLESS you have a Nigerian parent or grandparent. Then we will assume you are undesirable and take up to a year to process your application."

You can imagine the uproar there'd be at what is blatantly a racist policy. We wouldn't stand for it. But India is not a decent society. It is a backward, misogynist, tribal and racist culture. (Recent story about those "low caste" girls sentenced to be tortured and raped because their brother offended "high caste" family in their village shows that clearly.)

Awful country. Don't go. Especially if you are a female tourist. Like I said. I have Indian grandparents, but I won't set foot in that country, even if you paid me.

Nothing to do with passports. If you have even one relative with Pakistani heritage (a parent or grandparent) then you are essentially told you are going to be assumed a terrorist until proven otherwise and your visa application will take around 6-12 months to process, and may be rejected without appeal. Doesn't matter if you have a European Passport, and American passport, you are considered guilty until proven innocent.
Can you imagine if we had this kind of policy here. Imagine our government saying: "Americans can get UK visa on arrival. UNLESS you have a Nigerian parent or grandparent. Then we will assume you are undesirable and take up to a year to process your application."
You can imagine the uproar there'd be at what is blatantly a racist policy. We wouldn't stand for it. But India is not a decent society. It is a backward, misogynist, tribal and racist culture. (Recent story about those "low caste" girls sentenced to be tortured and raped because their brother offended "high caste" family in their village shows that clearly.)
Awful country. Don't go. Especially if you are a female tourist. Like I said. I have Indian grandparents, but I won't set foot in that country, even if you paid me.[/quo
Your points have been mostly covered at length above. As for the Pakistani issue, I guess its because India and Pakistan are widely regarded as the most likely protagonists in the next nuclear war...so trust is not on the menu right now.

This is India, They don't allow fools in their country, they have to prove that they are not fools or not stupid, it is like haven, all are not allow, only wise are allow

,,,Have ittttttt, have heat Op, Brill Find!!!!

American Dad - "India! The birthplace of diarrhea!" :laughing:

Not my spelling a quote from the original "American" script http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=american-dad&episode=s06e02

Thats what I meant.....Why transcribe a script if you can't spell?

Just applied for the visa online. THE WHOLE PROCESS IS NOT ONLINE! All you can do is fill out the form online, print it, but you still have to make an appointment at one of their centres and they keep your passport for 4 days.

this is mega hot it's about time!

is it true you need rabies injection to visit india. if so, is it free?

The link doesnt provide any details where to submit application for visa...can someone give a direct link pls

So what about Indian visa for Vietnamese. I know that Indians can apply for Vietnam visa on arrival at around USD 46 totally (via Vietnamvisa.org.in). So can Vietnamese can apply for e-visa to India and how much does it cost?