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
Since you're planning to travel to Bangladesh, you might already know that over the past few months, there have been serious political tensions that were suppressed by the army, resulting in thousands of deaths and causing the country's president to flee to India. As of now, the tensions and related security risks still seem very much present.
I don’t have any up-to-date local knowledge about Bangladesh. However, the country has been classified as orange (advised against unless for essential reasons) by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MAE) for quite some time.
But it’s interesting to note that Canada is much less alarmist (yellow) (https://voyage.gc.ca/destinations/bangladesh), and for the British Foreign Office, most of the country is marked green (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/bangladesh).
Of course, that doesn’t mean travel advice from Canada or the UK is more relevant, but it’s clear that, in general, they’re often less alarmist than the MAE’s recommendations.
thank you!
That’s what I keep telling myself—our site is always so alarmist! But I’d really love to find someone who lives there or has been recently, because the events that happened a few months ago aren’t well-covered here. I’m hoping things might have improved by now, almost a year later...
to be continued :)
hi, thanks for your reply! Yeah, I’m aware of that, but since it’s hardly ever mentioned in France—if at all!—it’s hard to know where things stand and what the situation will be like in nearly a year!
That’s why I’m looking for advice from people who really know the country.
Thanks so much,
Cécile
In correspondence with several people who live in Dhaka and who confirm there’s no risk related to the past protests... The interim government is holding steady, and the only downside might be a much more low-key police presence given what happened last summer.
I can confirm that the Foreign Office network is working hard and provides much more precise feedback than the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which—as usual—doesn’t really get involved and covers its back just in case... There’s no local threat *a priori*, at least not according to the locals (whether they live there or not) who’ve told me about it. You can also check out various local news Facebook pages—it’s the same story.
If you want a more objective video than Tibi Jones’ on the country, you can watch Ilya Varlamov’s. He doesn’t hold back on anything about the country but—at no point—does he mention any security issues. Part of the footage was even shot right after the Z. riots.
Would you kindly share the link to the UK Foreign Office’s travel advice website?
I sometimes check the Swiss and Canadian sites, but I’m not familiar with the UK Foreign Office’s.
Hi there,
Given what the Foreign Office says, Safety and security - Bangladesh travel advice - GOV.UK, I don’t really see what makes it more precise or informed. It looks like all the other diplomatic sites around the world, and not much different from what’s said elsewhere, including the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It seems the umbrella is just as wide open.
Which, to me, seems pretty normal anyway.
If the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs does such a good job, I’d love to see the documentary links or recent testimonials that report incidents affecting tourists—or even locals, for that matter—in this country where France advises against traveling...
From what I know, there aren’t any, which is why the Foreign Office doesn’t consider it a high-risk country—except maybe the far southeast. 😉
The question of safety isn't just about reporting and cataloging what has happened but also about preventing what could happen based on collected information, whether official or not.
So, just because nothing has happened doesn't mean there's no risk, and it doesn't mean the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MAE) hasn't done its job. It's also possible that there's information suggesting a more specific risk for French nationals.
I remember those French travelers who didn’t believe the MAE’s warnings, which were more restrictive than those from some other country (I can’t recall which), and ended up being attacked between Mauritania and Mali.
Anyway, the MAE’s word isn’t gospel, and it’s always interesting to cross-check info from multiple sources. But personally, I wouldn’t say they’re not doing their job.
If you look at the content on the MAE’s website—not just the map—the info is pretty consistent with what other embassies are saying.
Well, the kidnapping of a Spaniard in Algeria in an area marked as green by the Foreign Office makes me wonder how that’s even possible, since the FO does such a great job—unlike the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is apparently just a den of incompetent slackers who paint every country red just to avoid taking any risks...
This just goes to show why you need to cross-check sources when it comes to safety, and why it’s ridiculous to say the French MFA isn’t doing a good job just because it’s overly cautious.
The same goes for Algeria as it does for Bangladesh.
Off-topic: we're talking about a statistical average based on objective evaluations and observations... Not isolated incidents, like the ones that happen every day in every country on the planet lol French woman killed in Spain in her camper van, the famous French woman who disappeared in Japan, a Belgian recently killed in the Canary Islands: yet, these countries are obviously classified as green and even safe...
Meanwhile, no incidents in the last three years seriously affecting a Western tourist there, and no threats expressed by certain groups on social media like it is the case in Africa: so I ask that the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs justify its classification... If there’s no objective risk, the country should be classified as the UK Foreign Office does. But if you have links that prove otherwise, I’m all ears because the people I know who live there haven’t seen any, and the unrest last summer—even if it was worrying—is over and never involved any Westerners at any point.
This is a forum about Bangladesh—have any of you just come back? When are you going??
Off-topic: we're talking about a statistical average based on objective evaluations and observations... Not isolated incidents, like the ones that happen every day in every country on the planet lol French woman killed in Spain in her camper van, the famous French woman who disappeared in Japan, a Belgian recently killed in the Canary Islands: yet, these countries are obviously classified as green and even safe...
Really off-topic? Anyway, that reasoning makes no sense. If a security incident isn’t considered because it’s an isolated case and we base our security analyses on averages, who’s going to put an act of delinquency on the same level as a kidnapping in a sensitive area like southern Algeria? I’m just coming back to the supposed incompetence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the hypersensitivity of the FO.
Yes, Bangladesh forum indeed—I have my reasons for being interested in it.
I spent 2 weeks there in December and had no issues, even finding myself in the middle of peaceful protests twice. It was quite amusing because with my beard and my wife being Nepali (but looking a bit Bengali), they thought we were protesting too—until they ended up inviting us to eat and drink each time (maybe the protest wasn’t that big after all, haha).
From a practical standpoint, it’s wise to be cautious in certain cities, as they can still be sensitive if protests occur (Dhaka and Khulna are the main ones). The situation near Myanmar has also become very tense in recent weeks. Does this prevent you from traveling peacefully in Bangladesh? Absolutely not. Bangladeshis will take care of you despite the language barrier, and whether you arrive by land or air, you’ll need to adapt to ensure you’re on time at the border/airport in case of road or train blockages.
If you’re interested, I shared my latest trip to Bangladesh on my Facebook/Instagram—you can see that life was calm and peaceful despite the overwhelmingly negative news since last August (ig: Nepal ma Tara).
I hope the situation stays calm so you can visit, because the country has been tourist-free since August (though it was already under-touristed before). :)
Hi there. I should be in Bangladesh in about a month (entering overland from India). I’ll add this to my "follows" and try to reply after my own experience... Don’t hesitate to "nudge" me if I forget! !
Hi Eidyl,
thanks for your reply... I’ll definitely keep you posted—I’ve postponed my plans! But I really want to visit this country; I’ve been hesitating for a while now :)
Cécile
Hello. I should be in Bangladesh in about a month (entering overland from India). I’ve added you to my "follows" and will try to reply after my own experience... Don’t hesitate to "nudge" me if I forget!
Hi, I hope you're doing well! I think you’ve completed your trip to Bangladesh—maybe you’re still there? I’d love an update on how it went and what the safety conditions are like for a tourist. I’m just waiting for your green light to buy my tickets, haha!
I’d also love some tips later on what to do and the logistics, since we’ll only have 15 days!
Thanks in advance,
Cécile
Since I rarely visit the site, I obviously hadn’t seen your messages.
So, I’ll keep this brief today. What I can already tell you is that I spent four weeks in Bangladesh in March this year. Having noticed that no paper guide has been published in over ten years, I turned to the internet like everyone else. Some relatively recent blogs are well done and provide a few useful tips. Anyway, regarding safety, I traveled solo there... no problems at all. The people are charming and "eager" for encounters. During that month, I only met—or rather glimpsed—four other travelers, including a young Chinese student.
If you have any specific questions, don’t hesitate!
Best regards,
Since I rarely visit the site, I obviously didn’t see your messages.
So, I’ll keep this brief today. What I can already tell you is that I spent four weeks in Bangladesh in March this year. Having noticed that no paper guidebook has been published in over ten years, I turned to the internet like everyone else. Some fairly recent blogs are well done and provide useful information. Anyway, regarding safety, I traveled solo there... no problems at all. The people are charming and "eager" for encounters. During that month, I only met—or rather glimpsed—four other travelers, including a young Chinese student.
If you have any specific questions, don’t hesitate!
Best regards,
Philippe
Hello Philippe,
I’m planning a trip to Bangladesh in August. Could you tell me more about your journey?
Thanks! 😊😊
I’m planning a Kerala/Tamil Nadu trip and can’t decide between these two spots.
We’ll be coming from Madurai by taxi.
Munnar seemed perfect for some hiking and great views.
But I’ve heard about Idukki, which is less touristy...
So I’d love to hear your experiences to help me choose.
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?!
Hey everyone,
Just a quick note to clear up a few things you see all over the web about SIM cards when you arrive in Bhutan. Between outdated info and people just making stuff up, it gets confusing fast.
Basically, once you’ve picked up your luggage at Paro Airport, TashiCell and Bhutan Telecom have their counters side by side. Prices are the same, but watch out for the detail that trips everyone up:
If you want an eSIM, the airport only sells it with unlimited plans (the pricier ones, around $13–20).
If you want a smaller classic plan with 3 or 5 GB, at the airport it’ll only be a physical SIM.
No need to splurge on international eSIMs before takeoff—the local SIM takes 2 minutes to buy on the spot with your passport.
If you want to check the real rates and see photos of the signs at the counter to plan ahead, I found this super clear recap: https://sogdiaroam.com/fr/blog/carte-sim-esim-touriste-bhoutan-aeroport-paro-2026
Just pick the shortest line between the two operators—no need to compare.
Hello!
We're a family of 4—3 adults and a 14-year-old. We're seasoned travelers with a passion for science, culture, and history. In short, we love discovering and learning.
We'll be in India for 3 weeks, from December 11, 2026 (in Goa) to January 3, 2027 (in Thiruvananthapuram).
We're looking for one or more drivers to handle the journey and guides who speak clear, fluent English, French, or Spanish. We'd love guides who are knowledgeable, passionate about their region, and able to answer our countless questions while giving us in-depth insights into the places, rituals, culture, and more.
Do you know of such guides or drivers, or have any tips on how to find people who can help us create unforgettable memories?
Thank you so much in advance!
Cat
Hi everyone,
The "Rometorio" app is super handy—you just enter a departure city and a destination, and it suggests train, bus, and flight routes. For trains, you get the name and number of each one along with the schedules. Plus, it gives you an idea of how long bus and train trips take.
Happy travels to all!
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 everyone,
I’d like to visit Mahe with the goal of seeing the 5 former French trading posts. Is it worth it? I get the feeling that northern Kerala is overlooked by tourists—am I wrong? And why?
If you’ve got any great tips for guesthouses or hotels in Mahe, I’m all ears.
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Hello,
Planning a cruise on the Brahmaputra in January—should we worry about being bothered by those little critters? One of us has allergies.
Thanks for your replies
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!
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!
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!
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
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Rajasthan: Incredible India?
Meghalaya: A Very Rainy Week
Yet Another Travel Journal in this (Too) Familiar Rajasthan, But with Family and Kids
Off on an adventure in Sri Lanka
The Hippie Trail to India in the 60s and 70s
A Few Days in Turkmenistan from Uzbekistan
