Discovering India in the Monsoon?

Woodlander

My 16 year old son and I are planning a trip to India. We would like to leave as soon as he finishes school, which means July. I have never "travelled" but tagged along on a weeks trip to Chennai early this year and discovered India with a great big grin. This will be his first visit. The idea for this trip was born. Thankfully discovered this site as am now feeling overwhelmed about making a trip to suit us both.

Our starting point is visiting Agra and Taj Mahal but, would this be crazy in monsoon season, would really appreciate advice.

And then what?

Thanks.

ashwinnaagar

You might find july- october a bit too hot and humid specially in the northern plains. Otherwise floods affct only small parts of the country, not much of a problem.
Only thing is that there can be changes in your schedule if there is too much of rain, otherwise it's ok.

ashwinnaagar

You could start on with ladakh/spiti and then proceed on to other parts of the country. But climate in most parts is at it's best only after mod october.

chAos

I don't know what Delhi is like in monsoon, so can't say for sure with regard to that specifically. But I don't understand why there's such general fear of monsoon; I personally really like the season.

Granted, it may be true that flooding can make travelling more difficult, with delays, etc, but it's not as if there are any guarantees that non-monsoon weather is going to get you anywhere on time either.

Enjoy your trip.

Indizen

Monsoons can be a really beautiful time, when everything is lush and green. Unlike in England, we in India actually welcome the rains. You can spend time in Delhi, visit the Taj, go to any number of hill stations, from Kashmir to Himachal to Kumaon to Sikkim.
Sometimes it may be hot and humid, but air-conditioning takes care of that.

Amalfi

Let us know what interests you and your son and how many days are you planning to be here. There won't be any dearth of itinerary suggestions thereafter. Also, monsoon season in India is a much awaited and cherished time of the year and most tourist places have their own charm during this season as well. Most of the towns and cities will be green, relatively cleaner and dustfree. Most lakes , rivers and waterfalls will be in full bloom.

The only places which you can't visit will be the wildlife sanctuaries which are closed during this time. Also , Chennai has possibly the worst weather all thru the year and if you liked it there , rest of India will be a piece of cake , weather wise at least.

Woodlander

ashwinnaagar, chAos, Indizen and Amalfi, thank you all for your replies and advice.

We will bear in mind the heat you mention and being english always expect rain in the summer! Since posting I have spent much informative time browsing the forums and found them inspiring and helpful. Now a filtering and organisation is required.

We have also been mostly thinking of visiting Varanasi - although I imagine the river to be high up the ghats - and/or Rishikesh. Also the Nek Chand foundation. Have been considering Pushkar, too. Now currently considering, due to timing, visiting hill stations instead. We plan to travel by train.

"Let us know what interests you and your son and how many days are you planning to be here. There won't be any dearth of itinerary suggestions thereafter that due to the time of year hill stations might be a better bet."

Amalfi. I am just beginning a fascination with yoga and my son is more adventure sports. The difficulty is we will only have a maximum of 10 days. There is so much to see and experience but, time will be short. We both still feel keen to visit during the monsoon as it does sound to be a cherished refreshing time.

livinhimalayas

Well if you are interested in Yoga and your son in adventure sports, then Rishikesh should be included in your itinerary. You can practice yoga and he can go river rafting and white water rafting. Monsoon is a good time to visit Rishikesh, the crowds die down (being low tourist season) and the weather is good.

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Amalfi

I think Rishikesh is the perfect place for you . Besides being the yoga capital of the world , it is also the base for white water rafting on the Ganges. Also, Rishikesh is at the foorthills of the Himalyas and there are numerous trekking and walking trails in the surrounding mountains which your son can enjoy. Also , during monsoons many of the nearby waterfalls would be in good shape. I have heard that they have a waterfall nearby named after Kate Winslet no less.

Also, Haridwar will give you the best of Hindu Spiritualism and Religiousity in a cleaner and slightly sanitised environment ( as compared to Varanasi). The Ganga flows at a tearing hurry and is cold as molten ice. The evening fire ceremony and Arati on the ghats in Haridwar is spectacular. Also , I swear that the ice cold waters at the holy Har-ki-Pauri indeed have a therapeutic effect. Possibly , it is about faith but I was feeling unwell with feelings of nausea and headache and washing my head in the waters cleared up my head in a jiffy and I felt energised almost magically.

Nek Chand's garden is remarkable but going all the way to Chandigarh just for it is not worth it. You can club it along with a trip either to Amritsar for the Golden Temple or to the Hill station and erstwhile summer capital of India , Shimla.

Also, Pushkar is basically a hippy hangout. Keep your kid away but a taste of Rajasthan is a must for a first visit and Jaipur fits the bill perfectly.

My suggestion -

Golden Triangle - 5 days -- ( Delhi-2 Days , Agra-1 Day , Jaipur - 2 Days )

Rishikesh/ Haridwar - 3 Days

Chandigarh/ Shimla - 3 Days

All the above are well connected by air conditioned Volvo buses and India's premier and superfast trains - the Shatabdi and are short hauls from Delhi.

Woodlander

Thank you for the replies. With your help we have been able to start planning and actually turn this idea into a reality.
l[B]iveinhimilayas,[/B] yes it does sound like Rishikesh is the place for us.
Amalfi, you've laid down the basis for our itinerary. Thank you we can now move from overwhelmed to overexcited. Your help has been invaluable and the knowledge and enthusiasm of this on-line community inspiring. (Sorry for the delay in reply, have been away.) Will be keeping in touch.http://www.indiamike.com/india/image...s/original.gif

ashwinnaagar

Do visit udaipur in rajasthan, it's gorgeous in the monsoons, the lake starts filling up and there is greenery everywhere, it's just 6-7hrs from jaipur by bus or train.

ashwinnaagar

Try to visit spiti valley, titally different from the rest of india, take an overnight bus from delhi to manali and then visit spiti in 3-6 days( as much as you have time). It has one of the most stunning landscapes and you can also have a taste of the tibetan like buddhism.

ashukkb

Yes I am agree with Ashwin... Manali, Dharamshala, Mcleodganj can be added in the itinerary .... with Chandigarh/ Shimla.. and you can strech it from 3 days to 1 week.

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nostalgic

Hello everyone,

wow... great to find a very helpful and insightful forum on india travel.

My wife and I are hoping to travel around India in July. It is our first time there, so we're giving ourselves 5 weeks in order to gain a richer experience. I understand that July is supposedly the worst time to go in terms of weather and climate, but we're school teachers so we have to go by the school holidays in order to get this much time off in one go.

So we would love any expert tips and suggestions on where to hit during our time there. We'll be in India from July 6 to August 11. Flying into Trichy because of AirAsia so we'll have to start and end our journey there.

But we're hardcore backpackers, love intense commutes on buses and trains so we're prepared to hit the road and go anywhere.

Itinerary suggestions are MOST welcome!!!

cheers,
Nic