Travel Advice for Visitors to Agra and Jaipur

We just returned from a fabulous vacation to Agra and Jaipur. The beauty of Taj Mahal and the forts of Jaipur are really breathtaking. We had a fun time, but the most irritating part of the trip are the vendors who sell junk to tourists.

Tourists by nature are polite, because you don't want to be rude in a foreign country. These vendors take advantage of the politeness and aggressively sell junk to tourists at exhorbitant prices!!

So here's some advice to tourists:

Buying Momentos:

1. Never engage in conversation with the roadside vendors, especially those who pounce on you as soon as you get off your car. There is no need to be polite.
   
2. If you are attracted to some junk and feel like buying it (I feel sorry for you), note that the prices are negotiable (almost 90%). The street vendors peddle stuff costing Rs. 25/- for Rs 1000/- or more depending on the gullibility of the tourist.
   
3. Looks can be deceptive. When you visit Taj Mahal, the thing to buy is a Taj Mahal momento. The momentos all look like made with marble but they are not. Some are soft marble that crumbles like cake and others are hard marble. If you are not sure, don't buy from the roadside vendors or even small shops.

Your best bet for buying momentos are government-approved tourist shops where you are assured of good quality stuff at fixed prices. You won't be disappointed when you buy in these shops.

For example, in Jaipur, we shopped at the Rajastan Textile Development Corporation (+91-141-2671872).

Hiring a Guide:

A guide is a good bet when you visit a historic place. Here again there are a number of unscrupulous people. Hire only a licensed tour guide. Check their id. The prices are also fixed. For example, an authorized guide to Fathepur Sikri in Agra costs Rs 125/-.

Unauthorized guides may charge more or less than the authorized guides depending again on the gullibility of the tourists. Some guides with no knowledge of the place simple read the descriptions placed at the monument!

The downside with hiring a guide to show the city like Jaipur or Agra is that they will invariably include shopping stops, because they get the commission. There is nothing wrong with this but if the guide prioritizes shopping over historic monuments, then you have chosen the wrong guide. The best way is to negotiate the plan before you start the tour. Note that most monuments are open from sunrise to sunset. So if you do shopping during the day, you will miss out on enjoying the monuments.

If you are prepared to handle vendors and guides, I can bet you will have a more enjoyable time.

Happy vacation!