Original post
Pouvrez-vous me dire comment se déroule le mois de Ramadan en Inde?
Merci d'avance.
Le Ramadan en Inde
by Toto333
This discussion is in French, the community’s main language.
Pendant le Ramadan indien (Ramzan), les musulmans jeûnent et s'abstiennent de nombreux excès, comme partout dans le monde.
Au début du mois sacré, les musulmans indiens se téléphonent pour se souhaiter un bon Ramadan, ou s'envoient des cartes de voeux (lien au bas du message)
La charité est de rigueur: on doit nourrir les pauvres et les nécessiteux bien plus que de coûtume.
La prière la plus importante est la Prière de Tarawih (en Inde, Taraweeh), en particulier la 27e nuit du mois, dite "Nuit du Pouvoir".
Certains musulmans indiens vont jusqu'à passer les 10 derniers jours du mois à la mosquée.
On consomme pendant le Ramadan indien une soupe composée de farine, de riz et de morceaux de viande, servie dans toutes les mosquées. Les fruits sont également très prisés, ainsi qu'une boisson nommée "harir" que l'on boit après le coucher du soleil.
Après le Ramadan, on fête comme partout l' Aïd El Fitr (en Inde on l'appelle Eid Ul Fitr). Les femmes préparent des sucreries (Eid Kah) et les hommes, revêtus de blanc, vont à la mosquée pour la prière de l'Aïd. On reçoit des invités chez soi, on s'envoie des cartes de voeux de l'Aïd dont voici quelques "cyberexemples" sur le lien suivant: http://www.dgreetings.com/religion_cards/muslims/index.html
Cet autre lien présente toutes sortes d'articles proposés par les commerçants à l'occasion du Ramadan indien: http://www.countryoven.com/ramadan.asp
Au début du mois sacré, les musulmans indiens se téléphonent pour se souhaiter un bon Ramadan, ou s'envoient des cartes de voeux (lien au bas du message)
La charité est de rigueur: on doit nourrir les pauvres et les nécessiteux bien plus que de coûtume.
La prière la plus importante est la Prière de Tarawih (en Inde, Taraweeh), en particulier la 27e nuit du mois, dite "Nuit du Pouvoir".
Certains musulmans indiens vont jusqu'à passer les 10 derniers jours du mois à la mosquée.
On consomme pendant le Ramadan indien une soupe composée de farine, de riz et de morceaux de viande, servie dans toutes les mosquées. Les fruits sont également très prisés, ainsi qu'une boisson nommée "harir" que l'on boit après le coucher du soleil.
Après le Ramadan, on fête comme partout l' Aïd El Fitr (en Inde on l'appelle Eid Ul Fitr). Les femmes préparent des sucreries (Eid Kah) et les hommes, revêtus de blanc, vont à la mosquée pour la prière de l'Aïd. On reçoit des invités chez soi, on s'envoie des cartes de voeux de l'Aïd dont voici quelques "cyberexemples" sur le lien suivant: http://www.dgreetings.com/religion_cards/muslims/index.html
Cet autre lien présente toutes sortes d'articles proposés par les commerçants à l'occasion du Ramadan indien: http://www.countryoven.com/ramadan.asp
Namaste !
2 petites questions : Est ce que nous occidentaux, avons une conduite particulière à avoir pendant le ramadan ? Est ce qu'il n'est pas mal vu de participer aux fetes de fin de ramadan ?
Merci d'avance
2 petites questions : Est ce que nous occidentaux, avons une conduite particulière à avoir pendant le ramadan ? Est ce qu'il n'est pas mal vu de participer aux fetes de fin de ramadan ?
Merci d'avance
Le Ramadan concerne les musulmans, qui, du reste, sont minoritaires en Inde.
Je ne vois pas quelle conduite spéciale devraient s'imposer la majorité hindoue, les chrétiens, les sikhs, les jaïns, les parsis, et les étrangers quelle que soit leur religion.
Si un musulman t'invite à participer à l'Aïd el Fitr, profites-en. Sinon je ne vois pas trop comment tu pourrais entrer dans une maison pour y prendre part. Je ne sais même pas si un musulman peut inviter un infidèle à cette célébration.
Par contre, s'il y a une chose que tu peux faire, c'est éviter de dire namaste à un musulman identifiable. Cette salutation hindi est typiquement hindoue. Les musulmans, du moins ceux du nord qui parlent ourdou, se disent salaam aleikoum.
Si un musulman t'invite à participer à l'Aïd el Fitr, profites-en. Sinon je ne vois pas trop comment tu pourrais entrer dans une maison pour y prendre part. Je ne sais même pas si un musulman peut inviter un infidèle à cette célébration.
Par contre, s'il y a une chose que tu peux faire, c'est éviter de dire namaste à un musulman identifiable. Cette salutation hindi est typiquement hindoue. Les musulmans, du moins ceux du nord qui parlent ourdou, se disent salaam aleikoum.
"Eviter de dire namaste à un indien musulman identifiable en tant que tel", préférer "salaam" voire "salaam aleikum". Certes, mais les musulmans sont comme les autres, ils sont plus ou moins orthodoxes. Il ne me viendrait par exemple pas à l'idée de saluer mes amis musulmans du Kerala, leurs familles, leurs amis, par un "salamaleikum"; je leur dis toujours "namaskaram".
J'ai passé d'excellentes périodes de ramadan ("ramzan" comme ils disent) chez eux, car il y a de très bons repas (biryani, patisseries/sucreries) avec de nombreux invités (famille, parfois voisins) --> et toujours des plats que l'on apporte aux voisins plus pauvres. Chez eux, ils s'abstenaient de manger en journée, mais en voyage ils se l'autorisaient; idem pour la mosquée, en voyage relâche...
Je parlais des musulmans du nord qui parlent ourdou.
A un musulman tamoul, je dis "vannakam" comme à un hindou ou un chrétien.
Par contre, à mon tailleur ourdou de Pondichéry, je dis "salaam aleikoum" et je lui glisse quelques phrases dans sa langue "boréale". De son côté, il me vante les mérites de l'Islam pour la moralité publique... 😏
Question de feeling, de contexte, évidemment, pour décider de comment on s'adresse à quelqu'un, mais on ne sait jamais sur qui on peut tomber...
Question de feeling, de contexte, évidemment, pour décider de comment on s'adresse à quelqu'un, mais on ne sait jamais sur qui on peut tomber...
Une seule fois en dix ou douze ans à Allepey, dans la rue alors que je discutais avec des gens que je connaissais, j'ai eu affaire à un léger non pas fanatique mais un peu illuminé/endoctriné qui m'a abordé en me tendant la main et en me disant "salamaleikum". C'était un jeune homme presqu'encore adolescent et habillé comme tout mayalee moyen c'est à dire sans signe distinctif musulman. Je lui ai évidemment serré la pogne et lui ait répondu tout naturellement "aleikum asalaam". Ca la un peu estomaqué, il m'a demandé si j'étais musulman, non j'étais chrétien (c'est toujours ce que je réponds en Inde par facilité, d'ailleurs c'est vrai que la plupart des français même agnostiques, même athées, avons au moins un fond culturel très influencé par le christianisme) et il s'est embarqué dans une longue discussion où il voulait absolument me faire admettre que "the best way is the way of Islam", etc. etc. Je lui répondais gentilment que pour moi tous les chemins pouvaient être bons "way of Islam", "way of hinduism", "way of christianity", etc. je n'ai pas osé ajouté "way of atheism, without any god" ou même puisque j'étais au Kérala "way of communism" car je ne voulais pas trop le provoquer, ça n'aurait servi à rien, et pourtant j'en brûlais d'envie. Quand il m'a eu laché la grappe avec un grand "pleased to meet you, good bye", mes amis indiens se marraient mais étaient un peu gênés, ils disaient que ce jeune faisait partie d'un groupe un peu fanatique dont j'ai oublié le nom. Donc ce sont des choses qui peuvent arriver même au Kérala.
Mes amis indiens sont aux trois quart musulmans + un musulman dont la mère était hindoue mais s'est convertie à l'islam pour se marier (et oui, ça existe), quelques hindous et quasiment pas de chrétiens (en général les chrétiens indiens me "gonflent" un peu car ils se croient supérieurs aux autres). Une chose m'étonne toujours ce sont les réflexions de mes deux meilleurs amis qui sont muslims (dont celui d'origine moitié hindoue) lorsqu'ils voient des fêtes hindoues : d'une part ils trouvent un peu scandaleux la débauche d'offrandes car ils trouvent que c'est du gaspillage, d'autre part ils ne comprennent pas pourquoi à un endroit les gens ont tel dieu et dans le village d'à côté tel autres ("too many gods, one god is better"). En revanche, ils admirent Sri Narayana guru qui prônait que toutes les religions étaient valables car en fait elles vénérent toutes un même dieu mais de façons différentes. Donc, je les trouve un peu obtus sur le fait que l'on puisse avoir 36 dieux. Ce n'est évidemment pas un sujet de discorde, juste de discussion, même si incompréhension. A force de me connaître (plus quelques personnes de ma famille), ils conçoivent je pense que l'on n'ai pas de religion déclarée; eux oui mais leurs parents plus difficilement (un de leurs pères n'osait pas me poser la question - il l'a posée à son fils un jour que je séjournais dans leur maison, il s'étonnait que je n'aille pas à l'église alors que c'était Pâcques).
Les choses sont compliquées en Inde, parfois étranges ou inattendues, pas conformes à nos schémas habituels, donc intéressantes !
Mes amis indiens sont aux trois quart musulmans + un musulman dont la mère était hindoue mais s'est convertie à l'islam pour se marier (et oui, ça existe), quelques hindous et quasiment pas de chrétiens (en général les chrétiens indiens me "gonflent" un peu car ils se croient supérieurs aux autres). Une chose m'étonne toujours ce sont les réflexions de mes deux meilleurs amis qui sont muslims (dont celui d'origine moitié hindoue) lorsqu'ils voient des fêtes hindoues : d'une part ils trouvent un peu scandaleux la débauche d'offrandes car ils trouvent que c'est du gaspillage, d'autre part ils ne comprennent pas pourquoi à un endroit les gens ont tel dieu et dans le village d'à côté tel autres ("too many gods, one god is better"). En revanche, ils admirent Sri Narayana guru qui prônait que toutes les religions étaient valables car en fait elles vénérent toutes un même dieu mais de façons différentes. Donc, je les trouve un peu obtus sur le fait que l'on puisse avoir 36 dieux. Ce n'est évidemment pas un sujet de discorde, juste de discussion, même si incompréhension. A force de me connaître (plus quelques personnes de ma famille), ils conçoivent je pense que l'on n'ai pas de religion déclarée; eux oui mais leurs parents plus difficilement (un de leurs pères n'osait pas me poser la question - il l'a posée à son fils un jour que je séjournais dans leur maison, il s'étonnait que je n'aille pas à l'église alors que c'était Pâcques).
Les choses sont compliquées en Inde, parfois étranges ou inattendues, pas conformes à nos schémas habituels, donc intéressantes !
Moi, ce qui m'énerve chez les chrétiens tamouls (je ne sais s'il en va de même chez les autres ethnies), c'est qu'ils tiennent compte des castes de leurs ancêtres hindous, allant à l'encontre de l'esprit d'un christianisme qu'ils indianisent par le bas.
Une amie espagnole établie en Inde se rend à la cathédrale de Pondichéry pour enterrer sa mère. Le curé lui demande de quelle caste elle est!
Dans bien des églises, les castés sont à droite et les intouchables à gauche. A Pondichéry, il y avait même l'église du Sacré Coeur pour les intouchables...
Une amie espagnole établie en Inde se rend à la cathédrale de Pondichéry pour enterrer sa mère. Le curé lui demande de quelle caste elle est!
Dans bien des églises, les castés sont à droite et les intouchables à gauche. A Pondichéry, il y avait même l'église du Sacré Coeur pour les intouchables...
Pour ma part cela me choquerait en France mais en Inde j'essaie de comprendre et cela me plaît assez que les chrétiens du sud de l'Inde n'aient pas oublié leur fond culturel hindou (évidemment les castes.... mais relisons Alain Danielou pour remettre un peu en question nos a priori sur les castes).
Moi ce qui me choque ce sont les prêtres (pas tous heureusement) catholiques parfois mais aujourd'hui beaucoup les églises protestantes venues des USA (style GOD TV, advantistes, pentecôtistes, etc.) qui cherchent à convertir les hindous de basse condition. Je dirais même que ce prosélytisme d'un autre âge me révolte. Par contre j'aime bien (à condition qu'ils me fichent la paix) la complexité des vieilles églises syriaques (peut-être datant de Saint Thomas), catholiques, voire protestantes d'origine anglaise, que l'on trouve au Kérala, leurs chamailleries (heureusement qu'elles sont minoritaires et qu'elles ont un "ennemi" commun = les payens hindous sinon elles nous rejoueraient bien la Saint Barthélémy), leurs fastes désuets et orientaux (églises syriaques), leurs immenses pélerinages dont on se demande au début s'il s'agit d'hindous ou de chrétiens (exemple : les longs cortèges que j'ai encore vus récemment depuis Dindingul puis Trichy qui se dirigeaient vers Vellanganni), leurs statues de la vierge aussi chatoyantes et bariolées que Ganesh ou Saraswati, Saint Georges terrassant le dragon comme Rama terrassant Ravana, les symbôles hindous (des fleurs de lotus scultées partout) dans les blanches églises au bord des backwaters, les icones de Jesus aussi saint sulpiciennes que celles de Shiva, l'ambiance à la fois nouveau riche et surréaliste de la crypte de Saint Thomas près de l'église de Mylapore, etc.... en France je trouverais cela assez insupportable un peu comme à Lourdes ou au Sacré Coeur à Paris à cause du poids de l'histoire, mais en Inde cela me plaît.
Je me souviens aussi de l'interview sur France Cul du professeur de tamoul aux Langues O (INALCO) qui expliquait être né à Pondicherry dans une famille tamoul chrétienne (une exception dans son milieu) et être entré rapidement en rébellion contre son église à cause du décalage entre le discours (égalité de tous devant le dieu des chrétiens) et la séparation physique des chrétiens entre castes le dimanche à la messe.
On retrouve aussi ce fond culturel et cette séparation entre castes chez les musulmans du Kérala. La séparation dans la vie de tous les jours se voit peu, mais elle perdure fortement dans le choix des partenaires pour les mariages (à égalité avec les critères économiques).
Oui, comme dit K.Parvan Varma dans Being Indian (Le Défi Indien, Editions Actes Sud), l'Indien est un homo hierarchicus, et même des religions égalitaires et universalistes comme le christianisme et l'islam ne peuvent rien contre cette tendance lourde de l'identité indienne. J'ai d'ailleurs coûtume de dire que les chrétiens tamouls sont des hindous déguisés en catholiques...
Sur la question du prosélytisme, il est naturel pour un chrétien ou un musulman d'être prosélyte et de vouloir convertir le monde entier. C'est l'esprit même de ces deux religions universalistes, alors que ce n'est pas le cas du judaïsme. Quant à l'hindouisme, il fut probablement prosélyte autrefois puisqu'il se propagea jusqu'à Bali et jusqu'au Vietnam à une époque très ancienne...
Sur la question du prosélytisme, il est naturel pour un chrétien ou un musulman d'être prosélyte et de vouloir convertir le monde entier. C'est l'esprit même de ces deux religions universalistes, alors que ce n'est pas le cas du judaïsme. Quant à l'hindouisme, il fut probablement prosélyte autrefois puisqu'il se propagea jusqu'à Bali et jusqu'au Vietnam à une époque très ancienne...
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Hi there! 🙂
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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.)
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Thanks so much for your help!
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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?
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Hello,
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?
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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?
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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
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.
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.
Hi everyone,
I’m heading to Assam and I’d like to know what type of electrical adapter I need—is it M or D, or both?
Thanks
Hello,
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!
Thanks in advance for your help! 😊
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!
Thanks in advance for your help! 😊
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.
Hi there,
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!
Have a great day,
Virginie
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!
Have a great day,
Virginie
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!
Gaston
Gaston
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/
Happy travels and enjoy your adventure! !
Happy travels and enjoy your adventure! !
Hi everyone,
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.
Thanks for your feedback!
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.
Thanks for your feedback!
Hi there,
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.
Thanks in advance.
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.
Thanks in advance.
Hi there,
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!
Kloki
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!
Kloki
Hey fellow travelers,
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?
Thanks in advance. 😊 Marlène
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?
Thanks in advance. 😊 Marlène
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?
Thanks for your insights!
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?
Thanks for your insights!
Hi everyone,
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.
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?).
Thanks for your help.
Thanks for your help.