First Time in India - Need Help with Itinerary

sunnysideup

Hello - first timer for India travel - it's vast, and the more I read, the more I want to see it all, time is limited, and have to pick and choose...We would like to get a sample of both north and south; and do sightseeing but also at times spend significant time in certain places in between to get a feel for the culture, enjoy sun/beach, do yoga and meditation, volunteer, and study buddhism and ayurvedic workshops, and massage treatments..We're interested in culture, colors, art, history, nature/some light trekking, buddhism, and meditation, and YOGA, so we're also looking into staying in few ashrams - some with commitment with yoga schedules, one vipassana meditation.
Here's a high level itenary. I would like feedback about timing,if this is too ambitious considering travel times as well (we'd like to use trains and buses as much as possible) for the periods allocated. Also, would appreciate suggestions to the itenary, e.g. more off-the beaten path recommendations, or replacements...Thanks much...

Mid February - starting in Mombai? to Nasik, Ellora, Ajanta - 1 week
Karnataka - Hampi, Bihar, Mysore (other recommendations?) - 10 days
Goa - Panaji, 2 weeks
Kerala - Kochi Fort Cochin, Backwaters, Verkala, Kovalam -2 weeks
Tamil Nadu - Madurai, Pundicherry, 10 days
Anandra Islands - 1 week
From the islands the option would be to go to Orissa - Onkadelli, Puri, or the Rajasthan circle including Varanasi for 2 weeks. Concern here is the time of the year, last 2 weeks in April. Which area is more manageable temparature wise? Or skip this area all together?

North, starting in May - Uttarakhand - Mano Village, Haridwar, Rishikesh (ashram) 3 weeks
Himachel Pradesh -McLead Ganj, Manali, Kullu, (volunteer tibet, Tushita Meditation Center)... 2-3 weeks

wonderwomanusa

Well, it sounds like you've given enough time to most of those places... but it's a lot of travelling. Slow down, get more out of the places you do visit.

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sunnysideup

I know...it feels like it'd be too much going from one place to the next...so need to pick & choose..any suggestion on some areas to focus more on and maybe leave out some of them? thanks.

rushijoshi

Hi sunnysideup,

How you would like to travel Own Vehicle/Train/Aircraft?
What kind of places do you want to visits, I have not seen any National Park and Tiger Reserved Sanctuary in your plan.

You have enough time to discover whole India and your timing is also good, you may need to change little so you will not faced hit of summer.

If you are very much interested in Rajasthan then I would advice you to start your trip from Rajasthan as Feb is fine for Rajasthan [1 Week], then you can start your journey towards South.

You can visit Gujarat where you can visit Sasan Gir (Only place for Asiatic Lions) and some area near Ahmedabad [Nal Sarovar, Lothal (5000 years old civilization city), Modhera (Sun Temple)] [5 Days], then you can fly to Goa [1 Week is enough for GOA] by this time you will enter in Month of March and hit will just start in South so you can finishup things in South first. Places in South Chochin (Kerala) Chenai, Tamilnadu, Pondicheri, Madurai, Karnataka-Hampi-Mysore. Then you can start your journey towards North-East and visit Anandra Islands - 1 week.

Then you can visit Orisa - Puri and start your journey towards West and Visit Ajanta-Elora Caves, Pench/Tadova National Park.

From Nagpur you can start your journey towards North and Entered in Madhya Pradesh, here you can visit Kanha National Park/Bandhavgadh National Park [my Favourit]. Then you can visit Khajuraho [I am sure you will love it] then you can goto Varansi and Bodh Gaya (Birth place of Lord Budha, buddhism). After that you have two options either you can visit North India or East India or Both .

From Bodh Gaya start your journey towards North-West and visit Agra, Delhi then Himachal Pradesh, Jammu Kashmir then again back to Delhi and you can directly take a flight to Guwahati and you can visit Sikkim, Darjeeling, Kaziranga National Park..

For youga see the upcoming schedule...
http://www.swamiramdevyoga.com/comin...amp/index.html

After finalizing our journey do post to IndiaMike and we will help you to find out some more details for your area of interest.

Regards
Rushi

vonkla

We made two three month trips to India. I have the idea that with so much time on hand it is even more difficult to decide were to go since the alternatives are endless.

To give you an idea I give an enumeration of the states we visited.
The first trip started in Mumbai, then Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Gujarat and Rajasthan to Delhi.

For the second one we started in Kochi and then to other parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and again Rajasthan.

About these I wrote a travel journal (the second is not finished yet), if you are interested in details see the links below.

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See our travel journals Mumbai-Dehli in three months; From Kochi to Delhi

GP&D

Hi there,

We're in a similar position to you. 7 and half months in India, starting Jan 2010, and mind-boggled by where to go. There are three of us, Mum, Dad, and 9 year old daughter. We have to balance history and culture with beach, intense experience with relaxation. Our itinerary hopefully takes us from one to the other in a good sort of rhythm.

So far we are thinking of arriving in Delhi, and staying there for a week or so. Then it'll be off round Rajasthan - we spent some time in Jaipur recently and we really want to see Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer etc (we'll do a desert trip from here). We should also probably go to Agra/the Taj Mahal whilst in the area.

Then I'm thinking we'll nip up to Amritsar. Seeing the Golden Temple has to be a must. I want to experience India's religious variety so going to Sikhism's most holy temple seems a good idea.

We also want to see Shimla, but not certain about this. Though simply must go to at least a couple of hill stations whilst we are in India. (Any suggestions gratefully received.)

We've discounted going further north on security grounds. I'd love to visit Kashmir, but we're travelling with our 9 year old daughter, so need some smidgen of sense.

After Rajasthan, we're sort of aiming to travel down the west coast. Been to Goa a couple of times and reckon Goan beaches by way of some Maharastran beaches should be a good unwind after Rajasthan.

Then into Karnataka, we love Gokarna and I'd say it's a must for anyone in that part of the world. (A great cafe is down by the town beach.) Hampi definitely. Mysore possibly. (Any other Karnataka suggestions gratefully received.)

Then Kerala. We were there 12/13 years back as a couple and loved it, but hardly saw anything. Really want to see inland Kerala, and go back to the beaches we frequented all that time ago.

After Kerala we'll head east, aiming for Kolkata... via Sri Lanka.

We think we'll spend a month in Sri Lanka, getting there somehow (?!) from southern India - not worked that bit out yet.

Then back across to India and up the east coast. For some reason Pondicherry appeals - a little slice of Frenchification seems like fun.

I've heard Chennai is v manic and not so traveller-friendly, so may miss it out.

Puri sounds good - but might leave this until we return from Nepal in order to rest weary feet etc.

Everyone says Kolkata is amazing. And we simply have to go to the Sunderbans. For tigers, for estuary countryside and just because the name sounds so great. (I think this is one of the reasons I am so drawn to India, I love the place names, words etc.)

It's round about Kolkata that our itinerary gets a bit vague. I think we'll be here by March/April, which is a good time to zoom up to Nepal, maybe via Darjeeling. Hopefully we'll see something of Buddhism in India on this part of the trip. (Not sure where though, any suggestions gratefully received.) We've also decided not to do the North East States - for reasons of access, security, and, well, we just can't fit it in.

So, after a few weeks in Nepal we'll be heading back towards Kolkata - and then it's Varanasi. We had considered going to Varanasi, Allahabad, Ayodhya as part of the Delhi leg at the start of our trip, but somehow I think the spiritual centres of Hinduism should be left until we've been in the country for some time. In a way I think it will help us to make sense of India, of everything we've seen and experienced.

At this point we may treat ourselves to a flight to the Andaman Islands. A friend has been and says they are amazing. Just the chill we'll need after some heavy-duty intensity in Varanasi etc. But let's see where our funds are at this point.

Talking of travel, we love Indian trains. Done the 12 hr first class sleeper, done the 12 hr wooden bencher, loved it all, can't wait for more. Mind you, now I know what WL means at the top of your e-ticket (hence the wooden bench journey), I won't be having any more conniption fits when the passenger list goes up on the platform 40 mins before departure. Because we don't have to hurry, we are going to try to keep the train journeys down to a max of 12-20 hours. A 35 hour bone shaker would be more than my old bones could be shaken.

Then we'll have to leave India because I reckon our 6 month visa will be expiring and to the best of our knowledge we can't get an extension. And at the moment, we're thinking we'll go to Thailand for three weeks before heading back to London.

Wow, that's a long itinerary. If you've got this far reading it, thank you so much. And if you can give us some suggestions for what we should or shouldn't add to our odyssey, thank you even more.

What seems to be missing is central India, wildlife, Islam (though there will be plenty of mosques along the way), festivals, and the east coast seems a little unthought-through etc etc

Talking of festivals, I know it's the wrong time of year, but we will be there for Holi, and school and work commitments make June to December impossible. If you can suggest any other must-experience festivals or fairs between January and June, please let us know.

And one final MASSIVE worry. Are we just trying to pack in too much? Should we be staying in one place for a month plus, and really living a small slice of Indian life?

Wow, what a prospect.

All the best, and have a brilliant time,

G, P & D.

sunnysideup

Hi Rushi, thanks for your recommendations...

We'd prefer to travel with train or bus, as much as possible, - but at times if too much of travel time/not a good route, then maybe few flights...

Yes, I didn't include any national parks as of yet, was going to check out whichever is nearby (I was overwhelmed with so many options..will keep your suggestions in mind, thanks

One issue is, we can't change the timing - so we have to start February earliest, and in Lonely Planet the recommended timing for all the locations is until March (except Hamachal P and Uttarak.), and says it gets too hot in April, and May is definitely a no..Is it this bad, how is it in April or beginning of May in some of the places in my itenary, is it too hot? How should we prioritize them, to leave which areas to beg April then to May? Among places in Rajashtan, Maharasthra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, or up east around Puri etc...?

Does it get too hot in May for Varansi and Bodh Gaya? I'd love to include these places as well...

Thanks again

roj,roy

Please visit the North East states. The himalayas and the national parks and Wildlife sanctuaries such as Dooars, Kaziranga etc.

danield

If you have interest, like I do, I would include some wildlife, bird watching as part of your plans in India. I did fater my stay in Mysore at Nagerhole and Wayand National Parks. Was real happy I did so. Saw a part that is so different. Let me know if you need more details.

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