India Nov 2012-??? 6-12 month itinerary

I am planning my trip to India starting November 14th, 2012. I am not posting under Ininerary Advice to plan each and every single day, as I will be in India for a longer journey 6-12 months. I am posting to get ideas on best travel routes and places to stop along the way.

Background: I am a single American woman traveller. Some people find that relevant while others do not. I plan to stay in mid-range to budget hotels, homestays, and even do a little couchsurfing. I was in India for 3 weeks in April and after returning home I gave my job six month's notice, moved in with my parents to save money, and am finally in the final planning stages. I have my 10 year Visa and my flight arranged, now to enjoy the adventure! On my previous trip I went to the following cities: Kochi, Alleppey, Munnar, Kolkata, Jaipur, Alwar, Pushkar, Agra, Delhi. Being there in April, the south was much too hot and humid for me, so I will be glad to arrive during the winter this time. I understand that after six months I will need to leave for two months to fulfill my visa requirements, and don't know exactly where I will go for that period. Perhaps Nepal?

But here is my general outline for the first 6 months, sticking to the north:
-Delhi - Nov 14 - 1-2 weeks
-Kashmir? - late November/Early December - I really wanted to go to Kashmir during this time, but have heard the weather can be quite unforgiving during this time and roads are likely to be closed. Should I want until spring? I am not worried about being cold, as I am from Wyoming where we have bitter winters. Just don't want to get stuck anywhere.
-Amritsar - December
-Jaisalmer - late December/early January - 2-4 weeks
-Jodhpur
-Udaipur
-Jaipur
-Lucknow
-Varanasi
-Darjeeling

I am taking my time, and will spend how ever long I feel like in each city. If I'm not enjoying myself, I will move on. Otherwise I will probably stay for a few weeks.

What am I missing as the quintissential Indian trip? What are some of the best routes to take to each city, keeping in mind I can take my time, stop in smaller villages etc along the way? I also welcome any hotel/homestay advice in each city.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi!
I guess the timing of your visit is perfect. it couldnt be better as you misss the extreme heat. North India starts getting cold by end of November so it will be just perfect for you to start from the north and keep moving south with the pleasent temprature and you can even go to Sri Lanka for a coupe of months for rentry into India butNepal is a good option as well..maybe you can go to Bhutan from there? or even renter into Sikkim.
The mountains of North india will be at their glory till mid december. This includes parts of Kashmir, Himanchal, Uttarakhand and Sikkim. It will be nippy or even 2 degrees on a freaky night -but you are probably used to that kind of cold
I guess You should start with Kashmir and then on to Amritsar and then to Rajasthan. And save Darjeling for spring when it starts getting hot down south or in central India. Maybe you should add Uttarakhand aswell. Also, I would like to make you aware if you already are not, that you can visit the Camel fair at Pushkar(Rajasthan)20-28Nov. It will be a good experience However, you will need to book for a room in advance.Gets pretty crowded.
I guess you will like Rajashthan. It will also be a place where you can really explore the culture and ofcourse the region is full of such opportunities.
psst; an essential thing to carry on an India trip is a pair of earplugs!!

Thanks for the reply, Musk. I have heard great things about the camel festival in Pushkar and would be a great sight to see. Don't think I could make it there in time, however, especially if I will go to Gammu & Kashmir in the beginning of my trip. Have you been to Kashmir in late November/December? I am not so worried about being cold, but more worried about travel not being possible due to snow.

Good recommendation to visit Uttarakhand, do you have any specific towns/events to recommend?

I will be arriving in Delhi on November 14th, early morning. This is the last day of Diwali as I understand. Does anyone know what would be the best way to experience this festival? I do not yet have a room reservation, so I am also open to recommendations for a place near the festivities.

Cheers!

Diwali is celebrated with fireworks and they are EVERYWHERE! You won't miss much.

At one hotel I stayed at, there was a special puja for the owner and people who worked there; I was the only guest in the place so was able to observe but I don't know how common that is.

Leens, Here are some places in North India that you may care to check in a guide book. They have important historic temples, palaces, forts or continuing religious significance.

Allahabad, Khajuraho, Orchha, Gwalior, Jhansi?, Fatephur Sikri, Bundi, Kumbhalgarh and Bikaner.

Edit: It was Chittorgarh not Kumbhalgarh I had intended to list. I have seen neither but may visit the former place later this year.

Hi
Well, regarding Kashmir, ifyou are able to finish your trip by the first week of December you should be fine and there should be no major roadblocks if any. yes, weather in North India especially the hilly regions is unpredictable although roadblocks only happen due to heavy snow which usually happens after the second week of Dec. so, if I were you I would spend less time in Delhi and reach Kashmir and with an open plan and once there would follow local advice. Iam sure you will be fine weather wise till early december. If you feel two to three weeks is not enough then you can always revisit or schedule your trip to Kashmir for summer and greater opporyunities to explore?


Regarding Diwali, well the main festivities will be over by the time you land, just in time to catch the hangover of towns and cities from the celebration. However, you can always visit temples and there is no shortage of temples anywhere in India regardless of where you stay Since you are traveling alone you must pick wisely where you stay But then, I guess you are not new to India I guess you are looking for budget hotels? Give me your requirements and I will direct you to the correct place. There are many decent budget hotels in Delhi.
Regarding Uttarakhand, well, the state is highlighted by a rich cultural heritage and ofcourse it bathes in natural beauty especially between November and Mid January its very beautiful. Maybe you can mix both and I can suggest what places to visit once I know how much time you have at hand - I'll make you an itineraryyou will like. And unlike Kashmir, Uttarakhand and lower parts Himanchal are free of major roadblocks for long durations due to snow.
If honestly Im kinda getting envious of your trip. ha. wow thats a long holiday
Bummer that you miss out on the camel fair. You are gonna love Jaiselmer

Cheers!

Since you have 6-12 months, it would be easy to plan your travel depending on the climate.

North India in the mountains after December would involve travel plans going for a toss due to road blockages.

Central and South India after March is too hot - ditto for the plains of N India.

The best would be to visit South India immediately after arrival and travel Northward hugging the West Coast.

Kerala, South Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa (during Xmas), Mumbai, Central India, Rajasthan and then to Delhi and Himachal Pradesh. (6 months)

Spend the 2 months in Nepal and visit Tibet by road,

On your return, cover Amritsar, Srinagar and on to the Ladakh region (roads open mid June) and spend a month there including treks to the Hemis National Park and Zanskar Valley. Visit to the high altitude lakes. Return via Manali to either Kathgodam or Delhi to catch a train to the East - Bhubaneswar, Konark, Chilika Lake, wild life sanctuaries and travel North to Kolkata, Sunderbans, Darjeeling, Sikkim and reach Guwahati. Travel through the seven sister states of the Northeast; Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura.

Fly back or catch a train to Delhi for your onward journey.

As you don't have private messaging privileges, post here if you need more information.

Thanks for all of the suggestions, it only confuses me further! I agree with you, Meeone, that for the climate it might make more sense to travel the south in the winter and the north in the summer in order to avoid the extremes. However, after visiting parts of the south and parts of the north, I am more drawn to the north. I don't have an exact reason, but without knowing exactly how long I will be in India after the 2 month break, I want to be sure to spend a good amount of time in the north. Also, it is what is really bringing me back to India. Also, I do not mind colder weather, but if I am uncomfortable I can also go somewhere else.

Keeping that in mind, maybe it makes sense to leave Kashmir for the spring/summer. I do not like extreme heat, so will definitely be heading to the mountains during the hotter months. I noticed you mentioned Goa for Christmas, is this because there are more tourists there, hence more opportunity to celebrate with others for the holiday? Can you suggest another place in the north that might be good for the occasion? Maybe you could think of another route knowing that I am starting in Delhi, and want to end up near the Nepal border.

How do Nepal and Tibet compare to India in terms of budget? Are hotels/food, transportation more or less expensive?

Well if you take S India out of the equation and N India being snow bound with travel disruptions, the best place is the North East and Western India. It is the travel season there and you would love it. Not freezing, but cold. No road blockages except maybe the Tawang region in peak winter. East India is pleasant too.

Yes, visiting Goa during Xmas to celebrate amongst like minded tourists was on my mind.

That said, Shillong in Meghalaya would be a wonderful place to spend your Xmas. The Khasi's are predominately Christians, as also sizable populations of Nagaland and Manipur. When there do visit the Konyak Nagas and I believe you can be there for the Hornbill festival. The Wancho tribe, previously headhunters, can be visited to see their trophies and the tattooed older generations indicating their spoils. Head to the extreme north east to the Buddhist zone - Tuting and Anini in Arunachal Pradesh - lovely places to spend quality time or head high up to the mountains to Tawang on the Tibet border.

Cherrapunjee near Shillong is the wettest place on earth - magnificent water falls that cascade over the plateau into the plains of Bangladesh. This is the only place where you get to see the "living bridges". If interested you could head down 35 kms to the Bangladesh border where Visa on Arrival is available. Spend some time in Bangladesh before you fly out to Nepal and a side trip into Tibet.

Alternatively, you could cover Sikkim and Darjeeling before heading out into Nepal by road from Siliguri [overnight trip to Kathmandu].

You can google all these locations and tribes to have a better understanding what to expect. Here are some resources:
http://tourismnagaland.com/
http://megtourism.gov.in/travelinfo.html
http://www.arunachaltourism.com/
http://www.assamtourism.org/
http://manipurtourism.org/
http://tripuratourism.nic.in/
http://mizotourism.nic.in/

In terms of budget, Nepal is slightly more expensive than India, but Tibet is very expensive in relation to the facilities offered. The Chinese group visa is available in Kathmandu - you can only travel overland with this type of visa, and a Tibet permit is also issued for the days on the itinerary. You will have to take the assistance of an agency and avail one of their tours - individual travel is not permitted.

One post more and you should be able to send private messages.

Hi,
Sorry writing out of place. I can well imagine you being confused. I guess you should keep it simple and stick to your old plan and dont change it around because of Kashmir and heat issue. I guess by May you will need to be out of the country anyway. And you wont be able to see any more of Kashmir in April-May than november- december as most parts of Kashmir start opening by April- May, after the winter snows.And if honestly, views are better in November- December.
You have an opportunity to really explore Rajasthan till March and then Move to Sikkim for spring and into Nepal. Its pleasent in Rajasthan till March and can also be used as a base from where you can take short trips to other places in Gujrat, MP or Bodh Gaya.
Rajasthan can also be an option for Goa/Christmas. - without the crowd, beach and parties ofcourse
I would suggest that you arrive In Delhi, spend a couple of days and move to Kashmir.. 14-20 days for Kashmir and then from Jammu get to Kathgodam via direct train. Visit Kausani, Nainital, Rishikesh and Haridwar... about 2weeks... Then move on to Agra and enter Rajasthan.. from Rajasthan to Golden temple - back to delhi for a few days and then on to Darjeling



Nepal and Tibet will be cheaper than India a wee bit when it comes to budget traveling.
Cheers!

Meeone - You have some great suggestions, thank you so much for the links and research you did. Definitely some interesting places, will have to visit some of them along the way. I especially like your idea of heading to Shillong/Cherrapunjee and into Bangladesh, then to Nepal and Tibet before I return to India. The Chinese group visa you mention, I would need to arrange a group tour with an agency to get into Tibet, yes? Will have to see if tourists will be permitted during that time, seems to be random bans on and off. As for Christmas, I'm pretty sure I will be in the northwest. My friend's boyfriend is in Jaisalmer. Although he is not Christian, it may be nice to be with someone I am somewhat familiar with. Don't necessarily need other Christians, maybe I can teach some of my culture and holidays to others.

Musk - I appreciate your ideas, I will take your advice and see a few of the places you mentioned, however I have no intent on visiting Agra again. Although the Taj Mahal was an absolute must see in India, I have seen it once and nowhere else in India did I experience such rudeness and disregard. The sad thing is that it made me feel like I was back in America or something haha. It was not warm, welcoming, and never had I come across such demanding and almost daunting touts and tour guides before. But enough on that - thanks for your advice.

I know everything will come together in the end, not worried about that. I just love the weeks leading up to an adventure like this, being nervous, excited, and thinking of all of the possibilities. But not until I am in the moment and understand things in perspective can I begin to navigate my way. Still much planning to do.....!

Ah well, I have traveled this route before - but not into Bangladesh.

Your first 6 month stay would probably be over mid-May, when you can spend a week or two in Bangladesh [it will be very hot and humid there] before you reach Nepal.

Organize a seat in a group tour to Tibet starting July - these tours are usually 7-10 days for the Nepal-Lhasa route, it would give you a whole month in Nepal to organize the Chinese group visa and TAR permits. Meanwhile do some trekking, hang out, visit tour spots or take the one hour mountain flight - it is spectacular!

There are flight options to Lhasa, was 3 times a week, if you want to want to fly in and return by road [not recommended due to the danger of AMS] or drive in and fly back [a better option]. The best would be to drive in and out - and do visit the north face of Mt Everest. Very few operators would give you the option to visit Toling - Guge, the Lost Kingdom, but certainly lots of them run tours upto Mt Kailas and the Manasarovar Lake, beyond which Guge lies. The area is spectacular, and if you have the time/patience/money, it is not to be missed. I believe the Saga Dawa festival would be on the full-moon night in May/June next year at Darchen. If you can, time your departure accordingly if interested. Many operators run this tour.

A quick Gsearch gave this result with Guge - go through the itinerary to get an orientation:
http://www.kailashhimalaya.com/packa...m-21-days.html

Yes, being with friends you know during holidays certainly is a comforting factor. In that case you will have to re-orient your itinerary.

Cheers!

Hi!
At the end of it all hope you have a wonderful trip. I didnt realize that you have already been in north India and the Taj. I completely agree with you about the irritating guides and touts at and around the Taj and all over Agra for that matter
cheers!