hello... i'm going to india in january and i can't wait.

felistigresse

... but there's so much to learn! i've been reading various forums on this site for awhile but i feel as though i've just scratched the surface.

i'm going to india in january and i get to spend 2 months before my job starts up again in march (i grow vegetables). my friend and i are flying into delhi and then... who knows? i want to see everything and i know i can't, but it's so hard to decide. plus, this is the first major trip i've taken out of the country. like i said, so much to learn!

but i'm so very excited. i've been wanting to go to india for 10 years and finally we decided that we would just do it. my first cup of chai will be unforgettable.

Hal

Welcome to the site!

camelgirl

You'll have two months, so you can do quite a lot! Keep doing research & let us know what kind of plans you come up with. My only recommendation is to try to create plans that don't repeat a route (unless you absolutely have to because that's just how the transportation works out) or rush around.

You will also be traveling in the best season--Jan & Feb have excellent weather, though if you head to the mountains, it might be cold.

__________________
My selected India photos http://www.indiamike.com/photopost/s...r/7030/cat/500

realmacoy

Welcome to India..
Since u r arriving in january, i will strongly suggest that u definitely see rajasthan and the desert festival of jaisalmer (28-30th January) is a must see.Two months is too less a time to cover India so it would be better for u to cover up a part of it so that u get a proper feel of the places u will be visiting...
You are very welcome to ask any kind of information that could help u to travel india....best regds ajay

baba420

hey,
welcome to india and indiamike.com, hopefully it will be a life time experience for you,
regards,
baba.

bsprasad

Enjoy your trip in India and please write your experiences.

Its going to be a big help for others who browse this site for information.

felistigresse

i plan to write every day; i always journal whenever i travel. i definitely feel i need to give something back after already getting so much help from this site.

the one place i need to go is darjeeling. i am a tea addict and i really want to see a tea plantation. i need to do more research on what, if anything, is in season in january. plus, i want very much to see the mountains and experience the way people tuck towns into these seemingly impossible steep places. i've seen some of this here in the states and it never ceases to amaze me.

but is it possible to go to darjeeling AND kerala AND mumbai? maybe i want too much.

baba420

if iam not wrong darjeeling is north-east, mumbai is west and kerala is south, once you cover he darjeeling part, rest should be ok
baba.

camelgirl

Yes, you can do 3 different areas. If you fly into Mumbai you could head south to Kerala after you take in Mumbai & surrounding areas. Then head up to Darjeeling by train--probably a couple of trains, with some stops along the way!

If you fly into Delhi you could go to Agra for a day or two & see all the excellent sights, go back to Delhi, you could head East over to Kolkata & check it out, then go up to Darjeeling for a week. It will be very cold (freezing) at night & probably the 50s in the day http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/w...=422950&refer=

Then come down the mountains & head south west to Mumbai & Kerala. It's a really lot of traveling but you would break it up with stops in several places for a day or two. Look in a guidebook and at a map & see all the possible routes.

You'll really have lots of choices & enough time to see quite a bit.

I don't know if they still have it, but we took a cable car over the tea plantations in Darjeeling & it was amazing! You should also plan on taking the Toy Train up to Darjeeling. It's slow but memorable! http://www.dhr.in/

namaste_cat

Welcome to IM, and soon to India, felistigresse Darjeeling is a must in my book. As is Mumbai. I am biased, went to grade school in both those places. I love the climate in Darjeeling, not at all cold for me even in Jan/Feb. Perhaps same for someone used to Wisconsin winters, eh! Anyway, I too think Jan/Feb is a great time to travel in India. Even the weather in Bombay is tolerable at that time. Enjoy!