Rajasthan or Himalayas by bike: what's the best route???

Ruttts

Hi

We are planning a 3 to 4 week motorbike trip, starting in Delhi in February but are struggling to finalise a route.

Looks like we're spoilt for choice in India but we've narrowed it down to two: Rajasthan or up to the Himalaya's.

If anyone has got experience on either route, advice on which one is prefeable or pros/cons we'd be very grateful! Is it possible to combine the two in that time?

Thanks

Matt

machadinha

I guess knowing "when" (what time of the year) would be a good detail.

Try also How to get the most out of the Itinerary section.

I also reckon you've never driven there before? Read around the Wheels forum some, for instance Are Indian drivers closet Formula 1 drivers or just plain suicidal. You may find this one a little more heartening, but there are plenty of other threads: Motorcycle touring: Manual to Ride in Himalayas. One more: a little essay about driving in rural India. Finally, the Indax link in my signature has some good sections on driving and biking there.

And welcome to IndiaMike

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shashank.aggarwal

well it depends on your skills and comfort level...

Rajasthan would be good smooth roads, perfect for cruising..

Himalayas would be much more challengening and would require loads of experience in local as well as mountain driving..

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Ashishrjoshi

Hi Matt,

Bike trip to Himalayas in Feb will not be a good option, since chances of snowfall will be huge. & if it gets heavy, then u r stuck. So higher reaches of Himalayas is out of question.

Rajasthan will be good. U can also add Agra / Gwalior & Khajuraho if time permits.

Cheers,
Ashish.

Yogesh Sarkar

From a biker’s perspective Himalayas any day, unless you like cruising on straight roads. While there will be plenty of places deep in the snow (that’s even more fun if you ask me), there are several options in Himachal and Uttaranchal which you can comfortably explore.

Also taking into consideration that you have 3-4 weeks in hand, you can make a mixed itinerary and explore Rajasthan as well. Unless of course you want to chill out at a small village for days on end.

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Dilliwala

Good point alluded to by macha in #2 - if u have never driven in India, the Himalaya is not the place to start, unless u have plenty of experience driving in similar conditions in another country.

Ruttts

Thanks for all your comments. The Himalaya's sound great but probably a bit too much for us right now - think we're going to go for Rajasthan.
This forum thing has been a great help!