INDIA FIRST TIMER... Lots of questions...

mushyosh

Hi, Im a 23 year old about to embark on my first real solo journey. I chose India because for some reason that place calls to me more than any other in the world. I am currently in the UK where I am a student.

ANyway, I've confirmed my ticket which is from June 21 to September 21 - 3 whole months.

I have a few questions:

1. Where can I get detailed weather info on all the areas of India for the June-August period? In lonely planet, rough guide etc there is some info but not on all of the places. I need to plan out which areas are going to be too wet as it is going to be monsoon season.


2. Is it easy to get into Tibet? WOuld you reccomend it? I heard that Nepal will be dodgey as there is trouble there or something, but Id love to get on a train and head into tibet to have a look around. Has anyone here done this? Whats it like?


3. How easy is it to just drift around without hotel bookings? I plan to stay in cheap places, and am hoping to just walk into towns and find places to stay. I dont like the idea of booking as it takes away the freedom to just up and go wherever i feel like. But is this doable?


4. Just how cold does it get up in the places like LEH. Very keen on going up to the Hymalayas, what kind of clothes will I need?


ANy other tips or advice would be appreciated the way a blind man appreciates 5 minutes of perfect vision. Thanks alot guys.


Josh

Merchant

1. What you're looking for doesn't exist. Indians themselves ponder the mysteries of the monsoon, as it is a primary driver of the economy. There's no way for you to gauge whether or not it will be raining--or how much rain you will get--at the places you intend to visit. All you can go on are historical trends, like those outlined in the LP. You might, actually, enjoy the monsoon. It's an important part of India. Read Alexander Frater's "Chasing the Monsoon" and photographer Steve McCurry's "Monsoon," and you will be hooked.

3. In six trips to India, I have never pre-booked a hotel. It's easy enough to wander, use a guide, or book via the desks at airports (which is very easy). There are plenty of hotels everywhere, and unless there is some big festival going on or the town is really small, you shouldn't have a problem finding a room somewhere. Things in India have a way of working out. You can trust this fact.

mushyosh

nice way of putting it, cheers. I'll definately check out the book and the photographer, thanks again.

volga_volga

Hi,

re (1) the most complete climate information on this forum can be found here- India climate chart

(courtesy of beach, how is "not God to predict climate in India"

v-v

vistet

you can also check out bbc`s india climate page ; looks very poor at first sight , but the linked tables gives more.In the end I have to agree with Merchant ; it`s possible to make somewhat more informed guesses , but guesses they remain.

The struggling parties have up to now kept tourists out of the line of fire, acutely aware that not to do so would be sawing off the the branch so many Nepalis are perched on. Today however I read a report of a torched bus ,where also tourists were harmed. The threatening situation typically experienced is being robbed (or subject to revolutionary tax, depending on point of view) by the Maoist guerilla who will actually give you a receipt. The ultimate nightmare would be to placed in the line of fire. This seems unlikely to happen on the Kathmandu-Lhasa road that will be heavily guarded and thus not contested. Theoretically , you can`t travel individually to Tibet. In practice you contact on of the many travel agencies in KTM, hang around until they have a jeep/busload and off you go.

Not finding/being offered any place to stay in India .. that would be like pasta shortage in Italy
There are some instances where it will become more difficult (Dalai Lamas birthday in Dharamsala , for instance) but normally you will be swamped with offers/possibilities when you step off the bus.


In the daytime , this period : summery . Mornings & evenings can be quite cold. Long pants & jacket daytime, a woolen cap and a sweater in the dark hours. You won`t need a sleeping bag if you stay in Leh , the guesthouses have blankets.
Bring heavyduty sunblock and a cap with a long visor ; the strong sunlight has to be experienced to be believed.

mushyosh

This forum is fantastic. Thanks to all the replies I have gotten so far. Starting to get really excited about this trip...

avind

June-August should be good time to visit. Although, North India gets a lot of mansoon that time (rain and humidity, and bugs). Eat cooked food, take fresh bottled water and follow common sense! thanks

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lonelyaztec

Hey mushyosh,

Nice to know that u want to get to India. And 3 months is a long time for India to sink into you.

Himalayas will be great in summer. U cannot go to the higher altitudes in winter. YOu can wear cottons and have a jerk in or a sweater to keep u warm in the night. All hotels in the himalayas will provide you with blankets, so it will not be a problem.

Check this site called www.traveljini.com. This site gives you details on how to get to a place, climate, names of hotels ( luxury, mid range and budget ) with address and phone no's, it will tell you where to go, what to see, and excursions from that place.

The budget hotels mentioned here are all good, and they are cheap. You could call them and book a room for yourself or just drop in, check if there is a room and stay.

The lonely planet book on India will be a good book for reference.

Tibet, am not too sure, but there will be lots of people on this forum who will be able to help you with information.

And if you are goin to Ladakh and Leh, go with a group of your friends. It will be economial, as you will have to book a SUV. It many not be convenient to go by bus to this place.

When you go to Ladakh and Leh, also go to Lahaul, Spiti and Tabo, there are beautiful monasteries here. Also go to Dharamsala, this is the place, where HH Dalai Lama 14 stays. It is a beautiful place.

Also go to Kullu, Manali, Rohtang Pas...go to Amritsar, Wagah and get to Delhi. You can see Taj Mahal, Fateh pur Sikri and get to Jaipur from there, which will be your starting point in Rajasthan.

In Rajasthan, you can start with Jaipur, go to Udaipur, Jodhpur, BUndi, Jaisalmer, Bikaner...after all this, go back to Delhi. There are lots of places you can see in Delhi also. Rajasthan will be hot...and hence you avoid this place in Summer. You can go to Rajasthan during September, when i presume it will be much cooler.

After this, i don't know if if you want to go to East India or to South India. Let me know, then, i will be able to tell you more on what you must be doing.

So, i think, after the Himalayan region ( Ladakh leh etc ), go to East India to Sikkim, and hit South India. Then towards the end of the 3 months go to Rajasthan ( sometime it september ) as it will be cooler.

OK. Ciao.

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mushyosh

Yeah i was kinda planning to arrive in Mumbai, head north, do rajasthan, go furhtur north to Leh, then after that not sure....


Maybe head east like you said, oh and I wanted to try to visit the andeman islands. But have no idea how to get there they look pretty far!


then south to wherever. Want to visit kerala.

I was planning to have Goa as my last stop before heading back up to Mumbai for return flight.

Big diamond shaped plan. But extrememly early stages, very rough plan.

ANy suggestions are always welcome. You guys, after all, know a hell of a lot more than me.

lonelyaztec

Mushyosh,

This is lonely aztec again. I did not know you were landing in Mumbai.

Anyway, as i told you, Rajasthan will get too hot in Summer..around July and August. So, i suggest you to Delhi and proceed to the Himalayas.

Go to east India after the monastry trips. Go to Sikkim - The differerent places in this area that one can go to are Gangtok, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Kunchenjunga base camp ( world 2nd highest mountain peak after Everest ) and there is also a frozen lake here, am forgetting the name ( Lonely planet will give you info ) . All these places are in Sikkim state and you will need about 7 days to see all these places. Also, go to Tawang in Arunachal pradesh. All these places are in the same region.

As i told you earlier, i do not know too much about Tibet. If you go to Sikkim, you can go to Nepal, which is very close by. You can go to Kathmandu, Sagarmata National Park, Chitwan National Park and Pokhara. YOu can also go to the Everest Base camp, from where, i am told, once can see the Everest. There are also helicopter tours that you take you round the Everest and will bring you back.

After you trip in the East, hit South India. Reach Cochin, go to Kumarakom or Allepy. These are the back water zones in Kerala. AFter spending time here, from Cochin, take the train to Goa.

After visiting Goa, you can go to Bombay again, and get to Rajasthan from there.

I suggest that you don't do too many things as you might get tired.

You could come back later, when you have time again.

Ciao.

yu_gen

It's been good to find this discussion as I'm also heading out on June 17th, to Leh to begin with and up to date info is good to have.

Is anybody reasonably informed about the maoist thing in the Annapurna area?

AvidTrekker

Read a very hot, happenin' n' current discussion on the LP TT about Nepal and the various Maoist posers.

This is it :

Nepal Safe?

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bijapuri

Mush- you cannot go wrong if you keep an open mind, have a sense of humor. and take care of the basics, like bottled water, etc. Most old india hands will tell you it's just being in India, much more than the amazing things to see and do, that is the most fun. A cup of chai shared with a fellow passenger, a walk through a neighborhood, a cold bucket of water after a long hot afternoon, and miles of smiles. That's the good stuff.
I envy you

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