Advice? Jaipur, Amritsar, Shimla, Chandigarh, Pushkar, OTHER???

Advice on places to visit for this next trip?

Will be in Jaipur from Jan 15-Mar 12 (studying art), after which I'm up for some traveling and seeing new areas of India.

My husband will join me when I'm leaving Jaipur. He expressed a desire to visit Shimla. So, I'm here to ask for advice!

I can spend one or two months more (one month India and one month another country, or two more months India). So, time isn't an issue for us. We like to not be rushed when we travel...spending some time to really experience a place and meet some locals. Trains are the best form of transport for us, unless flights between places are less than $100 USD. We usually rent spaces through AirBnB wherever we stay, so no worries on suggestions for places to rent.

We are early 50s and moderately fit, eating only pure vegetarian foods (usually rent places where I can prepare our own meals).

My husband enjoys monkeys and seeing animals, natural/outdoor things and natural wonders, experiencing city streets and shops.

I enjoy those same things, but also really have a passion for seeing/experiencing/learning local art/craft wherever I am visiting.

What we don't like: packaged tours, riding on a bus (I get sick), high-end shopping/living, being in a very cold or dreary place without warm sunshine. I'm not an outdoor extreme adventure kind of person (no skiing, skydiving, helicopter rides, please!).

I would like to visit Amritsar since we'll be up north to see Shimla. A trip to Pushkar for some shopping before returning home to the USA would be ideal (might be able to do this while in Jaipur, so not 100% necessary to work this one in to your suggestions). BUT..if you have another place to recommend for fun, colorful, decorative art/craft shopping that's affordable like Pushkar, I'd love to hear about it! We love returning with fun, colorful, inexpensive gifts from India. :-)

Thanks for any/all suggestions!!

<3

That was my post...I guess a long time ago I created a different account and when I signed in, my computer somehow pulled up the older account. :-/

Anyway, I'll watch for comments from my active account here. I look forward to suggestions!!

Thanks!

Love,

Gypsy

EDIT:

I'm asking for suggestions of what to do, places to visit, during the part of our trip when we'll be visiting Amritsar, Shimla, Chandigarh. I've never been that far north in India and don't know much about Himachal Pradesh.

Based on what kinds of things we enjoy doing when traveling (listed in the original post), what do you suggest as places to visit and things to do along the way between those places? We can visit mid-March, end of March, or beginning of April.

Thanks!!!!

[MODERATOR: Are you able to edit my original post and combine this there? I think I wasn't clear what I was asking for help with in the original post. Thanks!!]

Curious to know what your husband's attachment to Shimla is. It' a nice place to visit, but on a limited trip I wonder whether you'd get the most bang for your buck there.

I leave it to more knowledgeable India mavens to judge whether the same might apply to Amritsar and to the shopping possibilities in Pushkar. We had a fine few days (well, rainy few days) in Amritsar and a splendid week mingling with camels at the Pushkar camel fair. But I'm uncertain how they'd rank on the experts' must-see lists.

Thanks, @hfot2.

We're not on a limited trip, so no worries about that...we can spend one to two months more in India before returning home.

My husband watched a series about Shimla a few years ago and has always said he wants to visit the place. Other than that series he watched, he has no other attachment. LOL Although, our first visit to Jaipur was so that he could visit the monkeys at GaltaJi after watching a series, and that has become one of our favorite places in the world to regularly return. So, who knows...maybe Shimla will be the same. ;-)

I'm not interested in dreary, rainy days though! I leave Portland, Oregon, USA every winter to avoid the rains! LOL

We visit India fairly regularly and I promised this time we'd spend a month or two in a new place (or places). Such a big, beautiful country and I'm happy to explore more of it. Just not very knowledgeable and looking for advice from others if we are headed to Amritsar, Shimla, and Chandigarh...what other places should we visit, things we should see/do in those areas.

Love,

Gypsy (sorry if it's confusing...I accidentally signed in and made that post under an old account I never really use here)

Shimla is pretty built up these days. But, what isn't? Chandigarh doesn't seem to fit in your description even if its on the way. I'll wait for the brick bats, too me its a soul-less city. But, I guess it was worth fighting over..

Go to Ubud

Pushkar is a nice place to spend a bit of time,but there is not a huge amount to see or do. As for shopping I would assume there is a far greater selection of things in Jaipur,but I am know expert.Pushkar is relatively small and from what I saw most of the stalls seemed to be selling the usual tourist rubbish.
But ther are most definetly monkeys,some of whom are still wandering about with my laundry !!
Ajmer is only 30 minutes by bus from Pushkar and is an interesting place for a wander.
All the best Simon.