Après quelques voyages au pays de shiva, je me surprends toujours à garder et parler des 36 premières heures dans cet autre monde. Alors je suis curieux, et je trouve qu'il serait interréssant d'avoir sur ce forum un peu de l'essence profonde de la première arrivée des "nomades". Pas dans le domaine du paraitre, mais celui de l'être, bref, l'hisoire profonde mais aussi faite des details des 36 première heures en Inde.
un bon sujet
comment oublié
arrive de nuit à dehli, chaleur pesante, avec le gout premier de l'odeur typique de l'inde et de sa poussiere
sortie de l'aeroport, une foule d'indien se ruant et criant pour le trajet en rickshaw, dans ce cohu bohu une ambulance arrive, transporte une femme blanche bléssé quon rappatrie tout le monde se ruent autour de la voiture... enfin le rick shaw nous emmene, mais ou, c'est la nuit, je n'appercoit que les dortoirs de la rue, les bidons villes de dehli, je m'en vais sur un autre aéroport pour aller dans le gujarat, un hotel pourri a cote de l'aéroport, je sent ma bouche se dessecher avec la clim et le bruit du fan me bercer
le réveil, chaleur pesante, soleil éclatant, nous prenons l'avions, arrivée a bhuj, bienvenue dans l'autre monde
bhuj une ville ou tout a été detruit par un tremblement de terres, pas deroute goudronnes du sables, des travaux partout des gens dans la rue, vite lhotel et puis la douche
Premiere sortie a pied dans buhj, je suis complètement parano, pas un touriste, jai l'impression que tout le mond ema regarde, et je ne peux m'empecher d'avancer bouche bée, sans repères et de me laisser entrainer dans les ruelles, tresvite je me rend compte que flanait risque d'etre dangereux, je regarde ou je met les pieds (deja noir de poussiere), les cochons, les rickshaw, je ne me sens pas tres bien, jai l'impression d'etre trop prpre sur moi, trop bien habillé, trop voyante..
voila par la suite je me suis vite accoutumé apres 2 jours et ma curiosité ma vite poussé a des rencontres extraordinaires, des moments étonnants, d'aventutres de découvertes
il y a 12 ans, j'avais 8ans.
je partais pour la première fois "loin" avec en père en avion.
arrivée de nuit à delhi, bouffée d'air chaud et moite en descendant de l'avion.
à la sortie de l'aeroport, une foule impressionante et très bruyante à mes yeux à cette heure de la nuit.
de nombreux mendiants (adultes et enfants) me touchaient, me tiraient les bras. j'étais effrayé.
nous avons pris un taxi qui nous ammena à l'oberoi (heureusement que mon père avait prévu l'arrivée dans cet hotel à l'avance...) je n'aurais pas suporté de chercher l'hotel le moins cher de Delhi et le marchandage ce soir là.
après une nuit un peu difficile et une grasse mat, on est sorti de la chambre et là je me souviendrai toujours de l'air lourd et chaud qu'il y avait dans le couloir de l'hotel et qui s'engouffrait dans la chambre climatisée.
la première sortie fut aussi difficile pour moi que la traversée de la sortie de l'aeroport. ENORMEMENT de bruit, de mouvement.
premier rickshaw
j'ai été directement confronté à la mandicité.
"vision d'horreur" en voyant un homme sur la route avec une lèvre énormement gonflé, des handicapés sur des planches à roulettes...
j'ai demandé à mon père de rentrer.
je me souviens aussi des traces rouge sur les murs (trace de metel)!! je pensais que c'était du sang et donc qu'il y avait beaucoup de crime à Delhi ;-).
mon père à pris un chauffeur et une voiture pour aller à Manali.
petit à petit j'ai réussi à m'habituer au regard des gens, au pincement de joue (grrrr) dans les restaurants, mais pas à la nivaquine et savarine (dans ma confiture le matin...)
Je suis retourné 4 fois en Inde et prévois de faire mon premier voyage seul en fin d'année.
En 10 ans j'ai vu l'Inde se transformé petit à petit.
Lors de mon dernier voyage (été il y a deux ans), à l'arrivé à Delhi, aucun mendiant. Un "nettoyage" (karcher...) des mandiants, des bidonvilles à été fait à Delhi et les touristes ne sont presque plus abordés sauf à Conaught Place.
Les sari et dhoti se sont transformé en jeans dans les grandes villes (quel dommage)...
Premier voyage un peu difficile pour un enfant de 8 ans, mais j'ai attrapé le Virus indien et j'ai vraiment hate d'y retourner!!
Premiers émois indiens.
Delhi airport. Odeur étrange, mélange d'épices et de poussière flottant au-dessus du tarmac brûlant.
Spectacles insolites. Une foule compacte circule le long de la route, débordant sur les voies de circulation automobile. Flot ininterrompu de camions énormes, bus croûlant de passagers accrochés aux portières et sur les pare-chocs, vieilles guimbardes désarticulées, grappes humaines juchées sur des motos, montagnes de ballots entassés sur de frêles carrioles.
Bruit, vacarme, tintamarre.
Couleurs éclatantes. Soleil ardent, ciel éblouissant, kaléidoscope de saris, turbans sikhs, longuis, salwar-kamiz, tuniques et jodhpurs.
Tourbillons de vapeurs bleutées.
Forteresses de grès rouge, coupoles de marbre opalescent, enluminures et pierres fines incrustées, bassins d'eau verte, buissons de bougainvillées pourpres, voûtes de banians aux branches enchevêtrées, pelouses d'épais gazon...
(1er voyage en Inde, octobre 1994).
C'est bizarrze.
Moi j'ai eu froid, très froid, je m'y attendais pas.
C'était en plein mois de Janvier.
Mon avion avait quelques heures de retard pour cause de brouillard.
A lieu d'arrivée en pleine nuit, on est arrivé en pleine journée, pas de soleil et ce brouillard, tout gris dehors et ce froid.....
"Bombay, début novembre 98…
La première bouffée d’air, dès que les portes de l’avion se sont ouvertes, sentait…
Je ne sais pas très bien quoi mais ça sentait!
Dans un état d’épuisement total, je suis dans le bus qui se dirige vers le centre ville.
On traverse des bidonvilles, les vieilles baraques de bois partout, une crasse et une poussière incroyable...
Et puis des indiennes en saris!
Dans le bus j'ai rencontré un autre belge, et il m'a accompagné à la gare pour m'acheter un ticket de train départ le soir même. Merci à toi Luc, nous avons passé la journée ensemble, j'étais bien contente de l'avoir rencontré. J'hallucinais...
J'hallucinais sur tout, absolument tout ce que je voyais...😎
Le premier sadhu, la première vache, mon premier chai, la foule, les pauvres, puis le voyage en train vers un chouette coin (Hampi), les premiers contacts, premiers sourires, premier stop pour mon hamac...
Premier "Excuse me sister, can I ask you a question? which is your country?" 😏
(d'ailleurs quand je rencontre des indiens ici, je leur retourne la question... en répondant "atchaa" dodelinant la tête... fou rire assuré!!! 😏)
Je me suis énervé intérieurement à cause de galères d'avion,
Je me suis marré tout seul en me frayant un chemin entre des vaches, entre deux aérogares,
J'ai poliment décliné les propositions d'un nombre incalculable de revendeurs de tout et n'importe quoi,
J'ai accepté une proposition d'un revendeur,
J'ai fait rigoler des gens en disant "ek do tin" avant de les prendre en photo,
J'ai rigolé intérieurement en redécouvrant l'accent indien,
J'ai regardé des éléphants dans une rue,
Des dromadaires m'ont regardé dans une autre rue,
Je me suis perdu dans des rues sans noms,
J'ai réussi à retenir un ou deux noms de rues,
Je me suis extasié devant des merveilles d'architecture,
Je me suis extasié devant des maisons absolument quelconques,
J'ai bien mangé,
Des moustiques m'ont bien mangé.
"Deuxième jour, première émotion. Dans les rues hallucinantes de Old Delhi, si chaotiques et foisonnantes, le Muezzin appelle à la prière. Je tremble, c’est la première fois que j’entends cela, un appel à la prière qui me prend au tripes. Plusieurs vagues d’émotions me parcourent tandis que l’appel mélodieux et langoureux retentit depuis plusieurs haut parleurs. Là, en pleine ruelle, où les rickshaws courent en tous sens, où les échoppes des marchands regorgent de denrées inconnues, où la foule dense et bigarrée déambule, croisant là une vache, là un poulet dans sa cage, là un chient errant, avec toujours au-dessus de nos têtes ces amas de fils électriques, qui forment par endroit d’énormes sacs de noeuds irréguliers, là, au coeur d’une Inde dont j’ignore encore tout, c’en est déjà trop, le décalage est vertigineux, les larmes me montent au yeux.
Je prends le temps de respirer, de retrouver un peu mes sens pour poursuivre. Finalement, nous n’entrerons pas dans la mosquée, car la rue à elle seule est un spectacle époustouflant. Alors on en reste à la rue. On sera tout notre séjour scotché par la rue : les gens, les sourires des enfants, la curiosité des adultes, les dodelinements de tête, le festival de couleur... que vaut - à côté des hommes et des femmes de ce fabuleux pays - le spectacle anecdotique des palais, des forts, des temples et autres bâtisses du genre ?"
Idem que tout le monde...
Je pense que l'Inde est le seul pays à m'avoir fait ça. Deuxième grand voyage après le Sri-Lanka. C'était en 1996...
Je me rappelle de l'odeur, de la chaleur, du soleil, de cette lumière, de ce monde, de cette pauvreté, de cet hôtel 4 étoiles fourni par NF (digne d'un David Lynch), de la piscine vide, du garde qui ne comprenait pas l'anglais et de tout ces Indiens qui vous détaillent de la tête au pieds.
Deux jours d'enfer où une seule idée nous passait par la tête. On veut rentrer à la maison.
Puis ce fût fini. Au matin du troisième jour, je me suis éveillé à l'Inde. Et elle m'a filé une grande claque dans la g... Elle m'a dit je suis grande, je suis belle et très riche. Découvre-moi. Et depuis, c'est le grand amour.
Après 30 jours de joie, ma copine pleurait dans l'aéroport, elle ne voulait pas partir et espérait que l'avion serait annulé...
Hi there,
Our trip to India, starting at the end of October, is taking shape.
I’d like to book a hotel in Delhi for our first three nights and another in Amritsar, where we’ll be staying during Diwali.
I’ve realized it’s really hard to trust the reviews on Booking. Have any of you stayed at and can recommend mid-range hotels in these two cities?
Your feedback could help us decide!
Thanks in advance.
Hi there, we're planning to go to Haridwar and Rishikesh in February, either from Delhi or from Amritsar where we'll be beforehand. What's the best way to get there? Driver, private car, train? Your tips would be much appreciated... thanks
Hi, I'm thinking of attending the Nagaur Fair in Rajasthan, which takes place from February 12 to 15, 2027.
Has anyone been to this fair? Is it just a livestock market or a real festival with music and dancing? Since it’s quite a detour for me, I wanted to know if it’s worth it. Thanks!
I'm also considering a trip to Sri Lanka.
I'm surprised to find so few references to Jaffna in the comments.
Does that mean this destination isn't worth it?
Thanks for your thoughts!
We’re heading to Sri Lanka for 23 days in January 2027—there are four of us—and we’ll wrap up the trip with 5 days in Mumbai. Our itinerary is coming together, but what do you think? (We can’t change the dates since our flights are already booked.)
We still have one night to slot in, and I’ve tentatively planned it in Tangalle, though it was a bit random. Would it make more sense to place it at a different stop? Or is there an intermediate stop I might be missing?
I’ve got accommodations sorted everywhere except Mumbai—it’s a nightmare (either way too expensive or really dodgy). By default, we’ve spotted the Residency Hotel Fort, but 70 € a night (with a discount) for a hotel that doesn’t offer anything special in India?!
I’m planning a short visit to Pokhara around mid-February 2027 (it’ll be my 4th time in Nepal 😊, over 40 years!). I’d like to book a room in advance rather than looking when I arrive. I’ve checked a bit on Bxxking.com and see lots of options. I’m used to scoping out the surroundings of places listed, just to avoid ending up in areas that are either unappealing or far from everything.
So, I see quite a few offers around the lake (Lakeside?), but every time I check what it looks like, the streets seem really uninviting. It’s kind of like a construction site with buildings everywhere… Nothing like Bhaktapur (for example) or even Thamel, where the streets seem way more pleasant.
Could anyone give me some advice?
Also, I don’t really get the impression that Pokhara is worth a visit of several days. The lake, sure, but once you’ve seen it—what else is there?
I’m interested in the 10-day/8-night "Discover Nepal" tour offered by Capitales Tours, among others.
For Day 4, it lists Kathmandu-Mugling-Pokhara as 200 km and 8/9 hours of travel.
Is this duration due to the road conditions? I assume the stop in Mugling for lunch is included in the travel time.
For Pokhara-Chitwan, only the distance is mentioned: 160 km. Should I expect a long bus ride there as well?
The proposed flights would be with AIR-INDIA via DELHI. We had issues with AIR-INDIA before—they denied us boarding for Paris even though we arrived at the airport more than 3 hours early. There was no specific counter for PARIS; the counters were for all destinations, and we waited in line for over 2.5 hours only to be told "too late"...
Thanks for your advice: Mum49
Is it still like this?
Yeah, VF, which used to be so responsive, still doesn’t even have a thread about this devastating mudslide that’s ravaged a region of Nepal where hundreds have died and hundreds more are missing (provisional toll). But from the images, we know the number of victims is going to be terrifying.
Thoughts to everyone affected, including, according to early reports, many travelers..
Hello,
We’ve already traveled to India twice before, but only for two-week stretches (2013, a loop from Mumbai including Hampi, and in 2019, Tamil Nadu). This time, we’re leaving at the end of October for nearly three months of travel—something completely new for us! We’ll arrive in Delhi and depart from Bangalore. Our goal is to explore Northern India and then head down to Kerala, taking a maximum of one flight and prioritizing trains.
Traveling for this long should let us plan longer stops to slow down the pace and fully enjoy our trip...
What are the places you’ve loved with this in mind?
I’ve already thought of Gokarna... Do you have any other suggestions, especially in Northern India?
Thanks in advance for your tips!
Hi there,
I’m planning a trip to Bangladesh for tourism during All Saints' Day 25. The government website is pretty discouraging! I’d love to hear from people living there or who’ve been recently before I buy my tickets.
How’s the security level and feasibility of a circuit (boat, train, bus around the country)? We’re used to basic conditions :)
Thanks in advance for your tips!
Cécile
I’ll be landing in Srinagar on October 23rd. I’ve decided to visit this region of India that I haven’t explored yet to discover new landscapes and, especially, their crafts.
I don’t have anything planned so far. I’ll be staying for about two weeks before heading back to Pushkar.
I’d love any tips you can share—small towns or villages to visit, ideas for affordable and authentic accommodations, workshops to check out, and so on. I’m open to all your suggestions!
I might head toward Jammu, where a host has offered to put me up for a few days.
Thanks in advance, and take care!
Hello,
We are two couples of friends aged between 65 and 70. Do you have a local agency or a local French-speaking driver-guide to recommend for a trip around Sri Lanka between February 14 and March 14, 2027? We’re open to any tips for our trip. The reviews and advice for agencies found on the forum are several years old. Thanks for your help.
Hi,
I’m looking for an organized tour in Northern India that goes through Agra (of course!) over about twenty days, prioritizing 2-day stops given the long distances or flights.
So far, my search has led me to these tours:
Intimate Rajasthan + Ganges Valley
Intimate Rajasthan and Goa
Confidential Rajasthan + Goa circuit
The number of kilometers is still pretty overwhelming and a bit scary.
Thanks for your feedback!
bcricri14
Practical tips from my 105 days of erratic wandering in India
Day 1 (10/10/2006): arrived in Mumbai around noon. Bus No. 338 5 Rs + 5 Rs (bag) 20' to Andheri station. Train 6 Rs to Dadar. Train 41 Rs to Lonavla 2h30 Hotel Chandralok 500 Rs **
Day 2: bike rental 7 Rs/h (too expensive, normal price 2-3 Rs/h) visit to the caves of Bhaja and Karla.
Day 3: train 28 Rs to Pune 1h20 Hotel National 416 Rs *
Day 4: train 141 Rs (with reservation) to Satara 2h45 Hotel Sagar 364 Rs **
Day 5: bus 110 Rs to Pandharpur 4h Hotel Aishwarya 450 Rs ***
Day 6: bike rental 2 Rs/h
Day 7: bus 125 Rs to Ahmadnagar 4h20 Hotel Parijat 250 Rs *
Day 8: train 151 Rs (!ticket for a mini 600 km trip!) to Jalgaon 5h30 Hotel Plaza 200 Rs **
Day 9: round-trip bus 38 Rs to Ajanta 1h30 + shuttle 6 Rs 5' Site entrance 250 Rs
Day 10: train 47 Rs to Khandwa 3h + bus 40 Rs to Omkareshwar 2h Ganesh G.H. 150 Rs *
Day 11 to 13: Omkareshwar
Day 14: bus 35 Rs to Maheshwar 2h45 Akashdeep Rest House 200 Rs **
Day 15: bus 8 Rs to Dhamnod 20' bus 20 Rs to crossroads 14 km from Mandu 1h40 bus 9 Rs to Mandu 20' Ram Mandir Dharamshala 100 Rs + 5 Rs for hot water *
Day 16: bike rental 3 Rs/h
Day 17: bus 50 Rs to Indore 4h Hotel Neelam 209 Rs
Day 18 to 20: Indore + round-trip bus 30 Rs to Ujjain 1h45
Day 21: train 82 Rs to Bhopal 5h30 Hotel Ranjeet 358 Rs *
Day 22: train 10 Rs to Sanchi 1h20 Jaiswal Lodge 200 Rs + 15 Rs for hot water! *
Day 23 and 24: visit to Sanchi + bike rental to visit the caves of Udayagiri
Day 25: train 69 Rs to Jhansi 5h + tempo 5 Rs to bus station + tempo 10 Rs + 5 Rs (bag) to Orccha 25' Sri Mahant G.H. 200 Rs **
Day 26 and 27: bike rental + train 20 Rs to Datia 30' + bemo 6 Rs to city center. Return bus 15 Rs 1h15
Day 28: bus 100 Rs to Khajuraho 4h Yogi Lodge 150 Rs **
Day 29: bike rental 30 Rs/day to visit the temples
Day 30: bus 70 Rs to Satna 4h + train 56 Rs to Jabalpur 3h Hotel Banjara 350 Rs **
Day 31: bike rental 2 Rs/h and visit to the Marble Rocks (50 km round trip)
Day 32: bus 50 Rs to Mandla 3h Hotel Satyam 250 Rs ** Round-trip bus 15 Rs to Ramnagar 1h15
Day 33: bus 60 Rs to Dindori 4h + bus 45 Rs to Amarkantak 3h (hellish road) Sarvodya Lodge 250 Rs °
Day 34: Amarkantak
Day 35: bus 25 Rs to Pendra Road 1h30 + train 120 Rs + 109 Rs (reservation) to Nagpur 8h Hotel Grand 257 Rs **
Day 36 and 37: bike rental + round-trip 25 Rs to Ramtek 1h40
Day 38: train 141 Rs + 125 Rs to Hyderabad 10h Hotel 3 Castles 200 Rs ° + Hotel Suhail 200 Rs °
Day 39 to 41: stay in Hyderabad
Day 42: train 48 Rs to Warangal 3h30 Hotel Surya 410 Rs **
Day 43: 60 Rs to Vijayawada 4h15 Hotel Sindhuri 275 Rs **
Day 44: round-trip bus 21 Rs to Amaravati 2h
Day 45: train 98 Rs to Visakhapatnam 7h30! (normally 6h) Hotel Sri Sampath Residency 250 Rs **
Day 46: train 111 Rs + 95 Rs to Puri 11h30 Travellers Inn 100 Rs ° + Hotel Z 300 Rs ***
Day 47 to 52: Puri + round-trip to Konarak
Day 53: train 38 Rs to Bhubaneshwar 1h15 Hotel Upasana 275 Rs *
Day 54: train 70 Rs to Balasore 4h bus 26 Rs to Baripada 1h40 Hotel Ambika 225 Rs °
Day 55: bus 25 Rs to Balasore 1h40 train 66 Rs + 68 Rs to Calcutta 6h30 Hotel Paragon 270 Rs * Hotel Crystal 350 Rs **
Day 56 to 62: Calcutta
Day 63: 60 Rs to Bishnupur 5h Hotel Monalisa 200 Rs *
Day 64: stay in Bishnupur no bike rental!
Day 65: bus 20 Rs to Bankura 1h30 bus 20 Rs to Durgapur 1h15 bus 28 Rs to Bolpur 2h15 Hotel Nisa 150 Rs *
Day 66 and 67: visit to Bolpur/Shantiniketan. Refused bike rental at ... 100 Rs/day!!! (Communist state of Bengal!!!)
Day 68: bus 20 Rs to Sainthia bus 35 Rs to Baharampur 4h30 bus 7 Rs to Murshidabad 40' Hotel Manjusha 350 Rs **
Day 69: bike lent by the friendly hotel owner and visit to Murshidabad
Day 70: bus 8 Rs to Baharampur 35' bus 60 Rs to Malda 6h (hellish road) Hotel Pratapaditya 231 Rs **
Day 71: train 66 Rs + 70 Rs to New Jalpaiguri 4h Hotel Holydon 250 Rs °
Day 72: train 52 Rs to Darjeeling 9h30! (normally 7h) Hotel Pineridge 500 Rs **
Day 73 to 75: Darjeeling
Day 76: train to New Jalpaiguri 9h30 + overnight train 271 Rs
Day 77: Patna Hotel President 482 Rs **
Day 78: stay in Patna
Day 79: train 18 Rs to Gaya 3h10 tempo 10 Rs to Bodhgaya 30' Deep G.H. 400 Rs!! °°
Day 80: return to Patna
Day 81: round-trip train 36 Rs to Rajgir 4h! (normally 3h)
Day 82: train 75 Rs to Varanasi 5h! (normally 4h) Yogi Lodge 150 Rs *
Day 83 to 87: Varanasi
Day 88: overnight train 310 Rs to Jaipur Evergreen G.H. 250 Rs **
Day 89: bike rental 30 Rs/day round-trip to Amber
Day 90: bus 59 Rs to Sikar 2h30 bus 23 Rs to Fatehpur 1h30 Rajshri Rest House 300 Rs *
Day 91: round-trip bus 12 Rs to Mandawa 30'
Day 92: round-trip bus 17 Rs to Churu 1h30
Day 93: bus 80 Rs to Jaipur 3h30 Evergreen G.H.
Day 94: bus 105 Rs to Bundi 5h30 Shivam G.H. 200 Rs **
Day 95: bike rental 3 Rs/h
Day 96: auto-rickshaw to station 45 Rs 25' train 44 Rs + 50 Rs to Chittorgarh train 21 Rs to Udaipur (total trip 8h) Badi Haveli 330 Rs **
Day 97 to 99: Udaipur + round-trip bus 45 Rs to Ranakpur 3h30
Day 100: bus 143 Rs to Ahmedabad 5h30 Hotel Manila 300 Rs **
Day 101: Ahmedabad
Day 102: bus 99 Rs to Bhavnagar 4h30 Hotel Vrindavan 200 Rs *
Day 103: round-trip bus 22 Rs to Palitana 1h10
Day 104: bus 85 Rs! to Ahmedabad 5h30 + overnight train ? Rs (feels like the end of the trip!)
Day 105 (January 22, 2007): train 6 Rs from Dadar to Andheri 20' + bus 5 Rs + 5 Rs (bag) to International Airport 20'
More figures
British Airways flight price Brussels-London-Mumbai-London-Brussels 576 €
Exchange rate from 55 Rs to 58.6 Rs per euro
Average room price 272 Rs/night
Daily budget 11 €
Chai from 1 Rs (Calcutta-Bengal) to 6/7 Rs (Rajasthan)
Bottle of water from 6 Rs (Udaipur), 8 Rs (Varanasi) to 12/13 Rs
Internet from 8 Rs (Warangal), 10 Rs (Calcutta, Indore, Hyderabad), 20 Rs (often) to 40/60 Rs!! (Rajasthan)
Beer in a restaurant from 85/100 Rs (often) to 150/165 Rs (Varanasi/Udaipur)
More details on request
Hello everyone,
we got back from our trip to Kashmir and Ladakh three weeks ago.
We spent 4 weeks there, including one in Kashmir.
We’re really happy with our stay in Srinagar and Sonamarg. The Kashmiris gave us a very warm welcome and seemed pleased to see tourists who weren’t Indian. In fact, over the 4 days we spent in Srinagar, we only saw 4 people who looked European... Srinagar is stunning with its lakes and the lively Mughal gardens. No trouble getting around, whether by shikara, rickshaw, taxi, or on foot. The houseboats are gorgeous, unfortunately controlled by consortiums. We took a taxi to Sonamarg (20 €).
Sonamarg (two nights) and its glacier are easy to explore, either on horseback or on foot, but it’s becoming a leisure spot for Indians.
To get to Ladakh afterward, we opted for a private taxi (quite expensive at 100 €, but the road is long). Since we’re a couple, it allowed us to stop whenever we wanted... and the route is beautiful all the way to Lamayuru, with our first snow-covered pass under snow when we crossed around May 21st. Then we stopped in Mulbek and Kargil before arriving in Lamayuru (three nights). We took another taxi to Alchi (26 €), spent one night there, and took the local bus at around 8 AM to Leh (3 €, a comfortable one-hour ride). We arrived in Leh around 9:30 AM, and Gyatsel from Tsarap Guesthouse came to pick us up with our backpacks. His guesthouse is located 500 meters from the market square in Leh, in a quiet little alley with no traffic. We highly recommend it because Gyatsel is invaluable for arranging taxis and organizing off-agency circuits...
His accommodation is super comfortable, and he cooks with vegetables from his garden. His wife also helps out... It’s Gyatsel’s mother who tends the garden. Through him, we arranged permits for the Nubra Valley up to Turtuk, then the Pangong and Tso Moriri lakes (we didn’t do the latter due to snow overnight!). We also crossed the Changtang (magnificent) to reach Thiksey, Stakna, Hemis, and returned to Leh. Six days in a private taxi (400 €). Since the roads were clear, we headed to Zanskar for 5 days in a shared taxi (28 € round trip for both of us). The route from Leh to Zangla follows the Zanskar gorges (impressive!).
We discovered Padum, Pibiting, Karsha, and Puktal, which you can reach via a small 7 km road and a 45-minute walk to finish, plus the sacred summit on the way to Manali.
Back in Leh, we extended our permit to visit the Aryan Valley by taxi (round trip, two days, 90 €).
We spent our last two days resting in Leh—the altitude is really tiring...
I’m sharing these taxi prices as a guide for a couple.
Accommodation ranged from 12 € in Leh to 30 € at Pangong Lake (the most expensive), but averaged around 15-17 € per night.
We’re not trekkers, but we love walks, discovery, and meeting people along the way. It was an amazing trip, and we even discovered a very old monastery a few kilometers before Lamayuru, where a monk took us—timeless...
I’m sharing these details because it’s hard to find precise information about Kashmir.
I’m heading to Sri Lanka for 3 weeks in July with my two 11-year-old kids, and I’m wondering about how to organize the trip. We’re used to traveling on the go, staying 1 to 2 or 3 nights per place depending on how we feel.
Do you recommend planning the itinerary and booking accommodations in advance to save time once we’re there?
Or is it pretty easy to organize everything as we go without any issues?
Same question for activities: Should we book safaris and tours ahead of time, or can we arrange them easily on the spot? Is there a risk of not getting a spot, for example, to visit a park since we’ll be there in July?
We’ll be using local transport (train, VTC via PickMe, tuk-tuk) to get from one place to another.
In short: Are there any must-book things we should reserve now?
So far, I only have the flight tickets!
Hi there, I think you're on the right track—you plan the itinerary and book the rooms in advance, and that’s it.
Not only do you save time, but you also know where you’ll be staying each night. Choosing well on Booking (or elsewhere) is actually a pleasure!
For safaris, given the number of jeeps with drivers available, it’s unlikely you’ll be turned away... the real issue is more about the concentration of jeeps around the animals.
I travel like you do—train, bus, tuk-tuk, and sometimes taxi. Ride-hailing apps like PickMe and other VTCs are mostly in big cities.
For the mountain train, due to severe flooding, service was interrupted on the line between Kandy and Ella. Check ahead, because reservations for this train are very complicated, if not impossible.
For the Colombo/Kandy train, you reserve your seats by buying the ticket before boarding. In the south, no need to book in advance for trains.
In Sri Lanka, there’s always a solution for getting around—just ask your hosts. They have trusted contacts at their fingertips. But still, compare prices—😏 smart move!
I stick to booking my nights and keep pre-planned activities to a minimum.
For reservations you can’t skip, it’s the beach stays you’ll want to secure.
I’m trying to find out if it’s still possible to travel from Mumbai to Goa by ferry or any other sea route. My search results aren’t very clear, and if it *is* possible, I can’t figure out where to book...
If anyone has any info, I’d really appreciate it—thanks in advance!
It seems there’s a ferry from Nagapattinam to Jaffna in India. Has anyone here taken this ferry before? My main question is how to get to Nagapattinam—by train, bus? And from which town further south, of course.
Thanks, friends!
Hi there.
We’re spending a month in Sri Lanka in March, and we’ll have one week left after leaving Polonnaruwa.
We’re torn between spending it in the Jaffna region or on the east coast between Batticaloa and Trincomalee.
We’re divers, so the east coast appeals to us for snorkeling, beaches, and lagoons—but it seems like late March might not be the best time for that coast. What do you think?
As for Jaffna, the culture of the region, its more authentic feel since it’s less touristy, and the offshore islands all appeal to us too—but it seems far from the rest of the country and harder to access.
We have to choose because we won’t be able to visit both sides, and I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks, Marie
Hi there,
We just got back from a 2-week trip to Sri Lanka as a couple, and while planning the trip, we found plenty of info on the itinerary, places to see, and transportation, but much fewer clear reports on the actual budget to expect once there. Yet, that was an important point for us because we like to plan ahead a little before traveling.
So, we took the time to break down our complete budget after the trip. In our case, we spent around **930 € per person** for 2 weeks, being careful without depriving ourselves, mixing guesthouses, more comfortable hotels, quite a few activities, and even a private driver for part of the stay.
What we found interesting when crunching the numbers is that in Sri Lanka, it’s not necessarily meals or short trips that blow the budget, but rather flights, certain accommodations, cultural activities, and all those little expenses we sometimes forget, like tips.
If this can help other travelers get a better idea, we’ve put everything together on our blog with our experience, a detailed breakdown of expenses, and practical info on money while there, withdrawals, and tipping:
https://aventures-sans-mesaventure.com/budget-sri-lanka-pour-un-voyage-de-2-semaines/
We’re a group of 5 heading to the Everest Base Camp trek in early April. We won’t have a porter or guide—we’re used to hiking independently and have already done the Langtang trek and the Annapurna Circuit (back in 2003!).
I’d love to know if it’s necessary to book lodges in advance or if we’ll easily find availability during this busy season. Also, will we find lodges all along the route between the main stopover villages, or only in those villages? I remember there were plenty everywhere on the Annapurna Circuit. We want to stay as flexible as possible.
We’re heading to India in March 2026 and had planned to visit the parts of the Meenakshi Temple that are open to non-Hindus. However, the temple is currently undergoing major renovations—with all the towers covered in scaffolding—which might really take away from the experience and our stop in Madurai.
After some frustrating and vague online searches, and before we reshuffle our itinerary, I’d love to know—if possible—the most accurate expected completion date for the renovation work.
We’re planning a trip to Nepal and would love to do a helicopter tour to Everest with Namche Heli Service.
Has anyone here used this agency? I can’t seem to find any reviews online.
Thanks in advance!
I’m spending two weeks studying Hindi in the mornings in Delhi, in the Hauz Khas neighborhood.
What spots should I check out in this area? Any cafés to chill at?
How do I get to other parts of Delhi? By rickshaw? Is it easy to negotiate the price upfront?
Hi,
I’m leaving this Saturday for Northern India from 15/02 to 27/02. I’m planning to visit New Delhi, Agra, Chand Baori, Jaipur, Ranthambore, Bundi, Udaipur, and Jodhpur.
What’s the best way to get around?
I was thinking of doing everything by train.
Maybe taking the bus for some stretches?
As for renting a car with a driver, it seems expensive, so I’ve pretty much ruled that out. Unless someone’s got space for the same dates?
We’re heading out in March for this trek. We’re used to hiking and long-distance treks, but this’ll be our first time in Nepal.
QUESTION: People from Nepal are telling us it’s MANDATORY to have guides! Is this true, or is it just agencies trying to get work for their staff?
The Lonely Planet says: "In April 2023, the government announced that every trekker would need to hire the services of a porter or a licensed guide to obtain the TIMS permit. The law isn’t enforced, and by 2025, there were no longer any obligations for teahouse treks."
What do you think? What’s your experience? Thanks for your feedback.
Hi,
I’d like to arrive in India at New Delhi Airport with some cash. I was wondering if the exchange rates at the airport are any good or if it’s best to avoid them (and exchange in the city instead?).
