Suggestions for a tvelwe days roundtrip?

mari

I arrive Delhi 8th December and have 12 days to spend before going back to the airport in Delhi and head for Leh. Considering I'm a first time traveller in India and a bit worried about travelling alone, I don't want to sought out the most chaotic places/major cities.

Any suggestions for making a roundtrip in twelve days, with Delhi as starting point/ terminus?


Mari
- happy for good advices

chappal

Mari, What are your interests? -- nature, birds, animals, architecture, temples, religion, beaches, ...? Are you looking more to explore or to relax?

Others here will disagree with me, but if you haven't been to the Taj Mahal, I don't see how you can be so close and not go, despite the pollution and crowds. From Agra, Bharatpur bird sanctuary is not far. The town of Bharatpur is not much to speak of, but the bird park is serene. Rajisthan or Gujarat are in the same direction and have many national parks to visit.

The other direction could hold more religious sights in Kharjuraho, Varanassi, Bodhigaya, ...

Don't worry any more than usual about travelling alone. India is quite safe. You will be treated very well if you dress and behave appropriately. Personally, I share your aversion to crowds and am not indifferent to the staring, but with the right attitude even that is okay.

sachin1313

12 days are good time to cover some good part of North india.

If you are interested in the cultural aspect of India you can make a trip to rajasthan which is very rich in culture. If you are interested in the religiuos India and into yaga & meditation along with wildlife you can head for Uttaranchal. I am bit amazed as to what are your plans in Leh in December as during that time Leh is fully covered with snow.

mari

Chappal!
Thank you for asking an important question and for your suggestions!

I will stay in India for two months, and after these tvelwe days on my own meet up with my sister in Leh. In january we are planning to travel through Rajahstan in direction Mumbai and Goa,- both to explore and relax. So when you ask, I think my main goal during this first period is to "explore in a relaxed way". I am thinking about the Taj Mahal, but after that head north for wildlife and religious sights instead of in direction Rajahstan (since we are planning Rajahstan in january). My sister recommended places like Shimla, Dharamsala, Haridwar and Rishikesh. Using this recommendation as a reference, do you have any other suggestions? Maybe places not located so high up in the mountains according to the climate?

And for Sachin:
I am fully awear of the climate in Leh. I am going to visit my sister doing her fieldwork for a masterdegree. She has been there before in the summer months, but wanted to experience the society also in the isolated winther months. With origin in Norway I have experienced cold winters with lots of snow before...

But recommending Uttaranchal: What is your favourite places in this province?

Thank you both!

Mari

chappal

Mari, I don't know anything about going north. Based on my experience, I would suggest going to Agra (1 or 2 nights), Kharjuraho (3+), you may want to stop somewhere between, Varanassi (3+). If you stretched that out and travelled by day instead of night trains, then that would be a very comfortable pace. On the other hand you could head north or east to Bodhigaya after Varanissi, and still not be overly rushed. I found Kharjuraho to be a very sleepy, charming town and there are enough temples to fill a couple days.

If you want to see wildlife, then perhaps just going to one national park and sights enroute would be most enjoyable.

himadventures

Lot of good places to visit Uttaranchal

I personaly like

Binsar Sanctuary: Near Almora
Kasauni: Near Almora

These are usually tourist free,peace and calm places.You want to have bit crowd arround-Nainital....is best choice !

sachin1313

That is really very good that Ladakh is the part of the research. No season matters for that.

In Uttarachal you can plan to visit Haridwar which is one of the four places where the famous Kumbh fair takes place every 12 years. Most sacred river Ganges passes through this place and in Hindu religion it is one of the most sacred place. 25 Kms from Haridwar is Rishikesh which is also a sacred place. This is also the birthplace of Yoga & meditation. You can visit Ashrams and yoga centres here. Also if you love the adventure you can enjoy the white water rafting on river Ganges. You can also get the fun of staying in the river side beach camp here. Between Haridwar and Rishikesh is "Rajaji National Park" which is famous for wild elephants or tuskers. You can also visit "Corbett National Park" which is the first Tiger reserve in India. It is 250 Kms from Rishikesh. Also you can visit Kausani, Binsar and Almora which are near to Corbett and are the growing hill stations. Not too much explored and exploited by the tourists.