Salut a tous .J'ai 45ans, et confirme cet aprés midi mon vol Lyon Delhi. J'avoue que j'ai un peu peur de débarquer toute seule en Inde(malgrés mon age.......) Mais j'ai envie de revoir Varanasi et d'y séjourner qq temps (je suis allée 2fois en Inde, mais accompagnée!!!!! ) Donc cette fois c'est trés différent pour moi.En plus je ne vais pas disposer de gros moyens financiers . Donc voila, je pars le 6 Aout, AIDEZ MOI SVP. Mauricette
Bon courage, j'ai à peu près ton age mais plus le courage de partir seul ainsi. Ne connaissant pas l'Inde, je ne peux pas t'aider, juste t'encourager....Tu y restes combien de temps ???
Merci à Luclyon de m'avoir répondu. Je pars donc le 6aout jusqu'au 15 Janvier. Je sais que je risque d'arriver en pleine mousson............malgrés ma peur, je me dis que de toute façon je n'ai rien à perdre (assez dépressive la meuf!!!!!!!!!, mais bon......)J'ai donc 45 ans, j'ai éte mariée 20 ans, quatres enfants (1 garçon de 23 ans et 3filles de 18ans (des triplées)) Les années passent vite, et j'ai l'impression que je n'ai fait que survivre, alors voila, je lance la machine et on verras bien. Mauricette
Bonjour je suis Alan, et souvent sur ce forum, et je vois que nous avons quasiment le même âge.
Moi, je n'ai jamais arrété de voyager et n'ai pas l'intention de le faire, et tu verras que c'est la meilleure solution pour oublier tous ses petits tracas quotidiens d'occidentaux trop gâtés....
Tu pars donc 5 mois, génial, essaye de nous donner quelques news sur ce même forum, ce serait sympa et puis on pourrait peut être t'aider pour t'informer via le net....
Sinon, n'aie pas trop l'angoisse, car tu sais que sur la route, on n'est jamais vraiment seul et que tu rencontreras toujours de voyageurs qui fairont un bout de chemin avec toi...
Je te souhaite un super voyage, et suis sur que tu en reviendras plus forte et surtout avec l'envie de repartir..
Merci à Alan;Sans te connaitre, saches que tu m'as déja apporté beaucoup..........Pour l'instant, c'est le trajet Delhi Varanasi qui me travaille un peu; mais bon!!!!!KIA KAREGA(en phonétique) qui veut dire:on verra bien(en hindi) Merci encore. Bonne route à toi. Mauricette
Bravo Mauricette tu as raison de prendre le taureau par les cornes et de partir là bas. Je ne pense qu'à ça, vu que j'y retourne en Mai 2004 pour un an. Varanassi c'est magique et on s'y sent tellement bien. Le trajet Delhi Varanassi se fait assez bien en train méme si c'est un peu long...Alors bon séjour ...Namasté....😉
Je t'ai envoyé un message privé sur ce forum pour te rassurer sur ce trajet Delhi- Varanasi en train. J'y étais il y a quelques mois encore.
Tu ne devrais pas avoir de soucis. Les trains sont mieux gardés maintenant. Il suffit de faire gaffe à tes bagages simplement.
Tu feras les 760 kms du trajet en une douzaine d'heures et cela te coûtera (en prenant le confort maximum : couchettes molles en voiture climatisée) 16, 5 euros. Il y a toujours autant de monde aux bureau des réservations, donc si tu as la chance de passer dans des petites villes, essaies de faire tes réservations dans ces endroits là. Les petites villes qui ont une gare mais qui n'ont pas l'informatique ont un quota de places réservées dans chaque train. Et elles gèrent ça manuellement. Résultat pour toi, il y a très peu de monde à ces bureaux là, pas de queue à faire et tu as tes places au même prix sans énervement.
Si tu veux d'autres infos, n'hésite pas à me contacter. Je suis de Lyon également.
Namasté !Merci pour ton petit mais trés sympa message. Plus le départ approche et plus mon angoisse diminue;J'ai tellement envie de retrouver l'ambiance de Varanasi, je ne sais pas pourquoi cette ville m'attire; j'ai meme envie de dire "m'émante".Car comme je l'ai signalé, je suis déja allée deux fois en Inde :au nord+treck au Népal de janvier 2000 à mai et à l'extréme sud (Madurai)de février 2001 à mai .Entre parenthése le sud est peut etre "trop beau", c'est pas" MON" image de l'Inde (par contre il y a le + GRAND BANIAN DU MONDE (+ de 2 Hectares) dans un endroit qui n'est cité par aucun bouquin (meme Lonely planéte...........)Ca vaut le coup d'oeuil, c'est à Timmamma Marrimanu. Comme je pense étre un peu Alzheimer je suis incapable de situer d'avantage, et pendant que j'y suis il y a également une reserve dans un endroit paradisiaque (on peu meme dormir dans une "tour de controle" et voir des elephants, et bien d'autres bestioles, c'est à pleurer (d'ailleur c'est ce que j'ai fais) on a l'impression d'étre dans un décor de film...............Excuse, je me laisse emporter, Donc je reviens à Varanasi : Qu'est ce que ca donne en pleine mousson? Est ce que tu t'es déja trouvé là bas à cette période? Voilà le genre de question que je me pose actuellement .Salut à toi, merci encore Mauricette
Merci pour tes infos. Par contre tu me parles d'aller dans les petites villes pour prendre le train pour Varanasi, mais je ne pense pas m'eterniser à Delhi, peut etre un jour ou deux, et prendre le train à New Delhi Railway station, (l'ami avec lequel j'étais parti, m'a indiqué le " Kashi Vishwanath express" )Pour l'instant j'en suis là ! Pendant que j'y suis: dis moi si tu t'es déja trouvé à Varanasi au mois d'Aout ? Merci encore. Mauricette
Oui tu pourras facilement prendre ton billet directement à la gare de Delhi. Il y a un bureau spécial réservations à droite de la gare (là gauche quand on sort de la gare).
Je ne suis passé à Delhi en Aout ; je connais en Septembre, en Avril, en Juin... mais pas en Aout.
Je t'envoie un message privé pour te donner mon email. Ce sera plus facile pour discuter.
Pour connaitre le train qui te conviendrait le mieux Indian Rail à un site. Très bien renseigné (horaires, prix, ..
A bientôt.
Namasté Mauricette! non je ne me suis jamais trouvée à Varanassi pendant la mousson (mais en Février) mais il parait que c'est aussi une chouette expérience d'aprés mes amis (on s'en fait une montagne mais ce n'est pas la mer à boire!!) Varanassi exerce aussi sur moi une forte impression, mélange subtil de sérénité, d'exitation et de plénitude....
Si tu as l'occasion de passer par "Dashashwamedh Road" une des principales rues qui méne aux ghats, tu devrais y rencontrer une vendeuse de bijoux fantaisie, devant un salon de coiffure, sur la gauche en descendant vers le Gange, qui s'appelle Sunita Dévi. C'est une indienne avec qui je suis restée en relation pendant 2 ans et depuis 5 mois je suis sans nouvelle. Ce serait sympa si tu me donnais un signe de vie... Rien que d'en parler j'ai hàte d'étre au mois de mai 2004!!!!En attendant bon voyage et donne nous de tes nouvelles.
Merci pour les renseignements pour le sud de l'Inde...
Merci pour le bon plan sur le plus grand banian du monde !! :) J'ai retrouvé les infos :
"The banyan tree is 570 years old and spreads a wide area of 5.2 acre of land.
It is located in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh about 25 km from Kadiri town, is about 240 km from Bangalore and 250 km from Tirupati and can be reached by train and bus services"
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2003/03/04/stories/2003030400561700.htm
Sinon, tu parles d'une "reserve dans un endroit paradisiaque"... Peux-tu me donner des infos la-dessus ? C'est dans quelle région, ville ??
Namasté à toi. Je te promet de rechercher Sunita Devi, ou du moins de te donner des news.Merci encore pour tes messages. A trés bientot, sur ce petit écran.
Salut à toi.Excuse moi de ne pas te donner beaucoup d'info sur la "fameuse réserve" C'était dans le Kérala.Je vais contacter de ce pas, l'ami avec lequel je suis parti(qui lui, n'est pas du tout Alzheimer!!!!)A trés bientot donc.
Bravo!!! 4 enfants plus tard, des triplés (ca doit pas toujours etre drole....) des voyages entre tout ca et la l'envie de partir a l'aventure et de laisser les enfants voir comment maman est indispensable.!!!!!!!🙂 Je te félicite et j'espere ne jamais perdre ma joie, comme toi.
Comme tout le monde te la dit pas besoin de stresser on se demande toujours ce qu'on y fout et apres on se dmeande pourquoi on y est plus.... C'est le coté contradictoire de cette merveilleuse et belle Inde.
Varanassi je l'adore aussi. M'y suis retrouvé fin juillet.... En pleine mousson.... Fait chaud, pas d'électricité souvent la nuit mais ca ca arrive déja souvent, muni toi d'une petite torche pour éviter les rencontre désagréable avec les cornes de boeufs et de vaches. Outre la chaleur tout ce passe assé bien.Trouve toi un hotel qui a un générateur en ETAT de marche..... Parce que ca peu etre vachement humide.La pluie ca va c'etais pas 24/24 mais pas non plus au moment ou on s'y attend toujours.
Bon voyage on se croisera peut etre sinon fais nous part de tes impressions.
Merci à toi et à tous les autres pour vos messages d'encouragement.C'est peut etre CON, mais j'ai l'impression de ne plus partir seule grace à tous ces témoignages de sympathie, Merci encore, maintenant je me sens remonter à bloque, et j'attends avec impatience le jour J .Ps: j'avais toujours une phrase que j'aime beaucoup ( notée sur un pt bout de papier....Alzheimer oblige!!!) Je cite: Il se pourrait bien qu'un jour je disparaisse sans trace;comme aspiré par le néant que j'aurais fait naitre autour de moi.......................A + peut etre. Mori7
Il n'y a pas d'âge pour voyager encore moins en Inde. Faut vraiment pas t'en faire, le fait de partir seule va au contraire t'ouvrir les yeux sur un tas d'autres détails que tu n'aurais pas immaginé étant accompagnée. A chaque fois que j'ai voyagé seul, j'ai passé plus de temps accompagné que seul !
Non sérieux, c'est génial, tu as de la chance de pouvoir partir aussi longtemps dans ce si beau Pays.
Prends le temps de vivre chaque moment à fond et tu verras qu'au final, ce voyage se sera pasé plus vite que tu ne l'imaginais, seule ou pas ! ;o)
Amuse toi et profite bien de ce voyage, soit prudente et tiens nous au courant...Keep conctact, Take care
Voila nous sommes le 04/08 et peut être passeras tu sur le forum avant le grand départ ? Si oui, d'abord un petit mot d'encouragement pour ta décision..
je ne la comprends que trop ! 38 ans seule sur Lyon, me voilà partie pour L'inde que je n'ai jamais vu le 22/10 jusqu'au 28/12 et bien sûr...seule !
Si tu es sur place, peut être peut on se voir ?
Quoiqu'il en soit, un super bon voyage ! Eclates toi bien !
Salut à toi. Je ne vais pas écrire des romans vu le temps qu'il me reste avant le départ DEMAIN MATIN ça le fait toujours. écoutes, je ne sais pas si on se croisera, dans l'immédiat, à l'heure qu'il est, j'ai envie de me poser à Varanasi qq temps.Mais rien n'est définitif je ne veux pas me fixer un itinéraire Je laisse toutes les portes ouvertes ................Tiends moi au courant A+ peut etre!!!!!!!!!!
Comme promis, voila qq info sur la réserve:En fait elle est à la frontiére entre le tamil nadu et le kérala:Mts Nilgiris " Réserve de Périyar", near OOthy.Je te souhaite tout simplement de pouvoir te rendre sur place :c'est à couper le souffle! En attendant, je vais regarder mes sacs d'un peu +prés, car le départ est pour demain (le 6) . A+ mori7
Namaste. Ca y est je suis a Varanasi, j`ai appris que Sunata Devi allait bien, je ne l`ai pas encore vu, car je voulais savoir si tu avais un message a lui transmettre? Comprend t`elle le francais, ? car je ne suis pas super douee en anglaisdans le negatif, j`ecrirais ce que tu veux lui dire .OK? Il fait vraiment tres lourd, et Ganga est bien grise, les premiers gaths sont immerges, on ne peu donc pas se promener, d`un bout a l`autre.Mais quoi qu`il en soit, je suis super heuteuse d`etre la. Bolenath
🙂 j'ai lu tes aventures avec beaucoup de plaisir. Je tenais à te le dire. Merci.
Cet été je vais en Inde (kolkata varanassi et laddakh)
Si tu as des conseils, des bonens adresse tiens moi au courant. Pour le reste, je serais tout simplement heureux de savoir comment tu vas et meê si je ne te connais pas A bientôt😇
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?).
