Bonjour les voyageurs, j'ai déjà posé pleins de questions un peu partout depuis les derniers mois (d'ailleurs: MERCI à vous), mais maintenant la date du départ approche et j'aimerais avoir vos avis sur mes plans, et j'ai quelques questions aussi.
Alors je me représente, j'ai 19 ans et je pars deux mois en Inde, seule, voyage sac à dos et tout et tout. J'ai très hâte et je suis confiante, même si j'ai une petite peur qui tremble dans mon ventre (juste assez pour pas partir en fofolle les yeux fermés). Je voyagerai en train et autobus, et je voudrais prendre mon temps.
J'arrive à delhi dans deux semaines. J'ai réservé par email à Vishal Hotel (ne pas confondre avec Vishal residency), dans le paharganj. Est-ce que quelqu'un est déjà allé là? Ils n'offrent pas de service de taxi, les prepaid taxi est-ce que c'est vraiment safe? C'est pas cher, c'est 200-250 rs.
J'ai réservé aussi un billet de train delhi-jaisalmer, pour ma première journée. Je suis un peu mélangée, la gare pour ce trajet, je me trompe ou ce n'est pas celle à côté de paharganj? Celle où je dois aller est dans le Old Delhi (Delhi Train Station)? Je voudrais être sure...
Et voilà, pour la suite, j'ai fait un genre de trajet de base qui est le suivant:
(1er mois: juin)
Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Udaipur - Bundi - Agra - Varanasi
J'ajouterai peut-être Mont Abu pour l'air frais, Pushkar parce que vous aimez ça beaucoup on dirait? Et avez vous d'autres coups de coeur dans les environs de mon trajet? (exemple autour de varanasi) Et Kota, ça l'air de quoi?
À Varanasi, je prend un avion vers : Hyderabad ou Bangalore? (lequel me permet un trajet le plus rapide vers Hospet et Hampi?)
(2eme mois: juillet)
Hampi - Tamil nadu - Bangalore (départ).
J'y serai en juillet. Dans quel sens faire la boucle pour avoir la meilleure température dans les montagnes (Munnar?, Mysore, Ooty, Kodai...). Donc commencer ou terminer par Chennai?
Je n'ai donc rien réservé d'autre que ma première journée, qu'est-ce que vous en pensez?
Bon, je vais en rester là pour l'instant avec mes mille questions, mais en gros, j'aimerais savoir comment vous trouvez mon projet?
Merci à l'avance!
PS. Les québécois! Est-ce que les cartes débit de la Caisse Populaire fonctionnent là bas? Et pour les prises électriques??
Bravo Andréane pour ton initiative de partir si jeune en Inde. Ce ne sera pas toujours facile mais normalement tu seras récompensée au centuple des efforts que tu auras faits (relations avec les gens, découverte de lieux superbes, sentiment d'apprivoiser une société très différente de la nôtre) 😉
Les prepaid taxi est-ce que c'est vraiment safe? C'est pas cher, c'est 200-250 rs. Oui c'est vraiment safe mais cela ne dispense pas de faire les contrôles habituels (exemple : si le prix demandé à leur bureau était exagéré, changer de bureau, si tu paies avec un billet de 500 Roupies, dis "500 rupees" en tendant le billet pour être sûre qu'on ne va pas te présenter un billet de 100 pour te faire croire que tu t'es trompée (cela m'est arrivé)). Sinon, question sécurité classique (pour la personne et les bagages, no problem).
J'ai réservé aussi un billet de train Delhi-Jaisalmer, pour ma première journée. Je suis un peu mélangée, la gare pour ce trajet, je me trompe ou ce n'est pas celle à côté de paharganj? Celle où je dois aller est dans le Old Delhi (Delhi Train Station)? Je voudrais être sure... Encore bravo pour avoir réservé ton billet à l'avance, ce n'est pas toujours facile avec irctd.com et cela t'évitera de perdre du temps dans les immense gares et guichets de Delhi. A priori, tu pars de la gare de OLD DELHI (sur ton billet il doit être écrit DELHI, si tu partais de la gare de New Delhi il serait écrit New Delhi). Tu peux le confirmer en consultant ce site : http://indiarailinfo.com/
La gare de New Delhi est au bout de la rue principale de Paharganj (Main Bazaar), ici sous la croix :
http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=28.6423327&lon=77.2194135&z=17&l=2&m=a&v=1
La gare de Old Delhi se trouve à trois km environ ici sous la croix :
http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=28.6608145&lon=77.2277606&z=16&l=2&m=a&v=1
De Paharganj comptes entre 50 et 100 roupies en rickshaw (tout dépend de ton habileté à négocier) 🙂
Et voilà, pour la suite, j'ai fait un genre de trajet de base qui est le suivant:
(1er mois: juin)
Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Udaipur - Bundi - Agra - Varanasi
J'ajouterai peut-être Mont Abu pour l'air frais.
C'est sûr que tu vas avoir chaud au Rajasthan et au nord de l'Inde avant la mousson 😎. N'oublies pas ton chapeau et tes lunettes de soleil. Mount Abu vaut la peine pour la fraîcheur à cette saison et pour l'extra-ordinaire temple jaïn (une dentelle de marbre et c'est peu que de le dire). Une autre idée pour la fraîcheur, facile à joindre en train Shatabdi depuis Delhi :Haridwar et Rishikesh (moi je préfère Haridwar à Varanasi). A Jaïsalmer, à cette saison à mon avis évite le safari à dos de dromadaire (camel), sinon tu risques l'insolation.
À Varanasi, je prend un avion vers : Hyderabad ou Bangalore? (lequel me permet un trajet le plus rapide vers Hospet et Hampi?) (2eme mois: juillet) Hampi - Tamil nadu - Bangalore (départ).
Bangalore sans hésiter c'est beaucoup plus près de Hampi. Si tu as du temps ne t'attarde pas à Bangalore mais vas visiter Mysore (Srirangapatna, Sravanabelagola, Belur/Halebid, Somnapur, et Mysore soit-même)
J'y serai en juillet. Dans quel sens faire la boucle pour avoir la meilleure température dans les montagnes (Munnar?, Mysore, Ooty, Kodai...). Donc commencer ou terminer par Chennai?
Difficile à dire, il fera très chaud et très sec au Tamil Nadu en juillet (mais tu auras été vaccinée par ton séjour au Rajasthan en juin avant la mousson). Par contre la mousson sera sur la côte ouest jusqu'au sommet des western ghats. Donc ton séjour à Munnar en montagne sera court (le déluge, ça vaut le coup d'être vu mais impossible de rester dehors). Sur le plateau du sud du Karnataka (Mysore, Bangalore) normalement la mousson est un peu moins forte que sur la côte ouest.
Je n'ai donc rien réservé d'autre que ma première journée, qu'est-ce que vous en pensez?
Ca suffit. tu peux simplement regarder les hôtels/guesthouses pour Jaïsalmer. Il y a du choix mais si tu y arrives en aillant quelques idées ce sera d'autant plus facile (surtout si tu arrives en pleine journée avec le cagnard qu'il fera tu apprécieras de te réfugier à l'ombre en attendant le soir). Mais n'hésites pas à te balader dans la vieille ville la nuit tombée, à la fraîche 🙂
Bon, je vais en rester là pour l'instant avec mes mille questions, mais en gros, j'aimerais savoir comment vous trouvez mon projet?
Classique mais pas mal. Evidemment visiter à la fois le nord et le sud cela fait beaucoup. Tu verras bien sur place. De plus tu n'y vas pas à la meilleure saison question climat, ce sera un peu plus éprouvant qu'en septembre - mars. Adopte le même style de vie qu'en Andalousie l'été : farniente au coeur de la journée, sortie tôt le matin et tard le soir 😉
Bon voyage 😇 N'oublies pas que tu risques de trouver Delhi difficile à vivre (chaleur en ville, foule, choc de l'Inde, etc.). Mais dès que tu auras pris le train pour Jaïsalmer ça ira mieux. Rappel : pour bien manger à Delhi (végétarien), les deux excellent restaurants ("hotels" en indien) appartenant à la fameuse chaîne du Tamil Nadu = Saravanna Bhavan, un sur Janpath ici : http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=28.6267575&lon=77.2195745&z=17&l=2&m=a&v=1
L'autre derrière le bloc A sur Connaugh place, ici si j'ai bonne mémoire : http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=28.6335661&lon=77.2173643&z=17&l=2&m=a&v=1. De plus, ils sont climatisés + toilettes + etc.
Le soir, à la nuit tombée (pas de clim), si tu veux un régime carné ne pas hésiter à entrerchez le fameux Karim près de la Jama Masjid ici sous la croix : http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=28.6495827&lon=77.2335863&z=17&l=2&m=a&v=1. Pour aller de Paharganj à la Jama Masjid ou chez Karim, prendre un cycle rikshaw (environ 50 roupies).
Après la réponse plus que complète de stalingrad😇, pas grand chose à dire d'autre sauf pour ton ps ; je ne connais pas les cartes de crédit quebecoise, mais si c'est une carte internationale de type visa (partout) ou mastercard (un peu moins courante) il n'y a aucun problème.
Et pour ce qui est des prises, elle était auparavant plutôt de type américain mais elles ont tendance à s'européaniser... d'une manière générale, pas besoin de s'encombrer de quelque chose de spécial, t'en trouveras toujours une de compatible.
Sinon, petit conseil amical puisque tu pars seule et avec un sac à dos : prend le minimum du minimum car vu que tu vas visiblement rester sur des grands axes, tu trouveras tout là bas... partir avec un sac de 5 kilos, il en fera 25 à ton retour😏
Bonne et belle expérience à toi.
Seule! Que tu es courageuse ! Je pars aussi deux mois et demi, mais accompagné de plein de gens. Pour un voyage seule, je verrai après cette expérience ;) Mais bon, comme je serai seule de temps en temps, j'en profiterai, sac à dos et souliers...
Je ne sais pas si la carte de débit sera très utile, en tout cas j'amène les deux : crédit et débit. Assure-toi d'avoir une carte de crédit, ça peut dépanner énormément et t'assurer d'avoir le bon taux de change du moment sans « cote (sp?)» prise par un bureau. Et c'est la carte qui sera sans doute la plus facile et certaine à utiliser.
Nous on s'est fait confirmer qu'on pourrait utiliser les fiches européennes et parfois américaines, peut-être.
Merci bien Stalingrad, Baillon et Vagrante pour vos réponses rapides et utiles.
Vagrante: En faite la carte débit, je me disais que ca doit etre bien utile pour retirer des sous, parce qu'avec une carte de crédit il y a un taux d'intérêt immense. donc ouais comme tu dis, mieux vaut avoir les deux. Tu pars aussi cet été?
Et wow Stalingrad, quelle réponse complète! =P Merci d'avoir pris ce temps pour me répondre! Je regarde Rishikesh et Haridwar, ça l'air vraiment beau, j'ai lu que c'était un peu dangereux, mais je crois qu'il faut pas trop s'énerver non plus. Puis je crois que je peux très facilement inclure cette halte dans mon trajet de un mois.
Ya juste un truc qui ma surpris; «Mais n'hésites pas à te balader dans la vieille ville la nuit tombée, à la fraîche ». Alors oui? Je croyais au contraire qu'il fallait pas trop trainer le soir... j'imagine qu'il y a des villes mieux que d'autres pour être seule dans les rues? À partir de quelle heure ca devient moins prudent ?
En effet, pour retirer ! Mais pour payer, crédit ! Je pense avoir de toute façon un bon montant pour le changer directement à l'aéroport en arrivant. J'ai bien hâte de voir moi aussi, les questions pratiques seront répondues! Eh oui, je pars dans 2 jours jusqu'en août. Sauf que malheureusement, je ne pense pas parcourir l'Inde comme une grande voyageuse, nous serons installé dans un appartement pour que mon copain puisse travailler. ah(!)
bonjour, je suis d'accord avec toutes ces belles réponses ... Si tu vas quand même à Varanasi (humide et chaud je crains) et que tu veux te reposer, vas voir à Sarnath (en autorickshaw prepaid de la gare 85 Rs), haut lieu bouddhiste et tranquille ... . Tu demandes la Dr. Jain Guesthouse à côté du Parc des Cerfs et tu pourras en prime visiter l'école SAVE que mon ami Abhaya Jain a montée. Tu lui dis que tu viens de ma part ! Plus sur ce projet que j'ai adopté complètement sur notre site :
http//enfants.varanasi.free.fr
Je pars fin juillet avec mon mari, Ladakh, ensuite Kerala pour une cure Panchakarma et ensuite Sarnath et .... L'Inde quand on prend le virus, c'es tpour toujours ... je suis allée la première fois en 2006, et ce sera mon 5e voyage ...
Bon voyage !
Chris
"se balader le soir à la fraîche" j'employais cette expression pour Jaïsalmer. A la fraîche signifie à la nuit tombée et elle tombe à partir de 19 heures donc ce n'est pas très tard. La vieille ville (l'intérieur de la forteresse + remparts), le soir quand la foule des touristes indiens et étrangers est partie, qu'il ne reste que les habitants + quelques vaches, c'est vraiment super, et question sécurité c'est beaucoup plus safe que dans le métro parisien 🙂, un peu comme dans une bourgade française à 9 heures le soir.
bonsoir,
moi aussi je me prépare à partir seule en Inde du Nord
au départ de Paris le 22 juin
j'attends des réponses pour un circuit.
quel est votre date de départ et passez vous par Paris
merci
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?).
