Bonjour!
Je pars au mois de Decembre en Inde du Sud, l'agence de voyage qui m'a deja fait l'itineraire de mon voyage precedent au Rajhastan m'en conseil un pour le Sud mais je ne suis pas tres sure...
Pouvez-vous me dire ce que vous en pensez!?
Merci!!
Chennai 19-22 Dec Mahabalipuram 22-24 Dec Pondicherry 24-26 Dec Kumbakonam 26-27 Dec Karaikudi 27-29 Dec Madurai 29-30 Dec Munnar 30-31 Dec Periyar 31 Dec -01 Jan Kumarakom 01-02 Jan
Bonjour! Je viens de passer un mois et demi en Inde du Sud (rentrée le 20 Août) . Ton itineraire est intéressant mais, si je peux te donner quelques conseils, évite Chennai(ou ne passe qu'une journée là-bas) car c'est une grande métropole sans intérêt particulier ; Mamallapuram est à voir absolument (endroit très cool pour y séjourner quelques jours de surcroît) et, de là si tu as le temps, tu peux aller à Kanchipuram(magnifiques temples) ; Ok pour Pondichéry (une journée suffit) et éventuellement Auroville. Je continue avec l'itinéraire que j'ai suivi(et beaucoup apprécié!):de
Pondi je suis allée à Trichy où j'ai passé 5 jours (dont 1 à excursionner à Tanjore, ville voisine et un autre dans les montagnes environnantes) : j'ai beaucoup aimé ces deux villes pour diverses raisons, en particulier pour leurs extraordinaires temples et tous les rites religieux afférents . De Trichy j'ai pris directement le train pour Cochy(Cochin) au Kerala (Fort Cochin esr un endroit calme et sympa qui vaut un séjour d'au moins 2 jours ), puis je suis descendue sur Allepey qui vaut vraiment quelques jours de séjour, dont un sur un "house-boat"; hélas je n'ai pu faire cette expérience car durant mon séjour au Kerala (5 jours ), il pleuvait presque tout le temps !( mousson oblige! ) D'où mon experience du kérala s'arrête
là, alors que j'aurais aimé découvrir bien d'autres endroits dans cet Etat ! Par la suite, j'ai séjourné une semaine à Hampi (Karnataka), ce que je ne regrette pas car il faut bien une semaine pour voir ce site fascinant ! Après retour à Mamalllapuram quelques jours au bord de la mer pour se reposer et surtout profiter du soleil qui nous a beaucoup manqué en cette période de mousson dans tout le Sud Ouest ! C'est pour cette raison, d'ailleurs,
qu'au Kerala, je ne suis allée ni à Ooty ni à Munnar ! Mais pour toi en Décembre ce ne sera pas la même chose, donc vas-y car il paraît que ça vaut vraiment le déplacement ! Voilà... Si tu veux plus amples informations sur tel ou tel point n'hésite pas à me les demander (moi aussi avant mon départ j'ai eu beaucoup recours au Forum et remercie encore tous ceux qui m'ont donné de précieux renseignements de tous ordres !) A bientôt!
Je rentre d'Inde du Sud, nous étions 5 et n'avons pas aimé Chennaï. Avec le recul on regrette d'y etre restés 3 nuits.
Mamalapuram, c'est tres chouette, il y a 3 sites sympas à visiter. Sache que c'est rempli de touristes français.
Pondicherry, c'est sympa aussi. Va faire un tour au marché ! Il y a une gesthouse super : la maison blanche.
A Maduraï il y a un temple impressionnant à voir, sinon, c'est pas super passionnant comme ville, une journée suffit. La YMCA est tres propre et pres du temple.
Ensuite, le Kerala, ça change, rien à voir en fait ! La route pour aller à Munnar est magnifique.
Peryar c'est sympa aussi mais si tu vas dans la réserve, il faut prendre un guide, sinon tu ne peux rien faire seule.
Nous avons été à Fort Cochin et on a beaucoup aimé.
Les backwaters il faut le faire, c'est magnifique :))
Je pars également en inde du sud en décembre, je suis de ton avis pour Chennai je vais éviter de m'y arrêter. Comme itinéraire je vais faire : Mamallapuram - pondichéry - trichy - madurai - munnar -cochin - allepey - varkala - trivandrum. Qu'en penses tu ? Je compte relier toutes ces villes en bus, le choix te semble t'il judicieux. Et pour le dernier jour, je prends l'avion de trivandrum vers chennai. Je vais sur la compagnie Jet airways. Je prend l'avion à 12 h 00 et ensuite j'ai mon retour à Paris vers 21 h 00, j'espère que je ne prends pas trop de risque en faisant cela le même jour. J'aimerais bien avoir vos avis sur la question.
Tout ça en 15 jours ...! Lis en peu ce forum - a des dizaines de fois bcp de gens racontent : c'est pas un voyage, pas des vacances, pas une decouverte du pays, de sa culture, des rencontres trees limités (presque uniquement les gens du "business", ctd chauffeurs, hoteliers, commercants, .. etc )
Je pense qu'il vaut mieux CHOISIR entre Tamil Nadu et Kerala.
Deja pour voir un peu Chennai-Kanchipuram-Mamallapuram-Pondichery-Chidambaram--Tanjore-Trichy-Madurai (entre ces villes des endroits comme Darasuram, Ganga, Gingee, Tiruvannamalai) il faut du temps (voyages assez eprouvantes parfois), puis, Rameshwaram et/ou Kanyakumari ...
Theoriquement c'est faisable, mais on ne fait que courrir. Tour de France, qoui. Sans compter, des imprevus (une bonne tourista etc 😉)
Salut!
Je rentre juste de l' Inde, et même si je n'ai qu' un mois d'experience de l' inde, un conseil, privilege les trains!!c'est a peu de choses pres, le meme temps de trajet voir plus rapide et ce n'est le tape-cul qu' est le bus local!!!
a moins que tu prennes les bus privés mais il sont bien plus cher que la class sleepper du train!
Bonne preparation de voyage!
salut tout le monde je parsen inde avec mon hommele 16 nov jusuq'au 7 décembre et je vien seulement d'avoir le guidedu routard et doncj'apprendsqu'il fo un visa merdouilleje vésur le siteet c galère et je vois sur guide du routard2007 53 eurosle visa sauf que sur le formulaire du site visa machin c 83 euros donc est ce que qu'elqu''unpeut m'en dire un peu plus sur cette histoire de visas est ce vrai qu'il faut un chèque de banque ?
En réponse à ton message, je dois dire que ton itinéraire est excellent, enfin presque... car il est dommage de ne pas aller à Tanjore, petite ville très agréable dotéed'un magnifique temple inscrit au patrimoine mondial de l'Unesco... à seulement une heure de bus de Trichy! Par contre, en ce qui concerne ton choix des moyens de transport, je n'approuve pas vraiment... car, si le bus est envisageable pour les petites distances, je pense qu'il vaut mieux l'éviter pour les longs trajets! Pour moi rien ne vaut le train : beaucoup moins dangereux et plus reposant ... Pour ma part, je l'ai beaucoup pris et j'en ai été ravie; pour les petites distances (ex :Chennai-Mamallapuram) tu peux aussi prendre des taxis. Si ça t'intéresse je pourrai t'envoyer le mail d'un chauffeur de Mamallapuram très sympa, prudent et qui parle très bien anglais(nous l'avons beaucoup apprécié lorsque nous étions là-bas)Voilà... N'hésite pas à me contacter pour plus amples renseignements. A bientôt!
"On croit qu'on va faire un voyage mais bientôt c'est le voyage qui vous fait, ou qui vous défait"(Nicolas Bouvier)
Je te remercie, oui j'aimerais bien avoir l'adresse du chauffeur. Par contre pour les trajets entre les villes, je sais que le train est peut être moins dangeureux, mais le problème, c'est le temps passé à la gare pour réserver, pour le bus c'est plus rapide. Pourrais tu me donner ton avis également sur mon retour. Je compte prendre l'avion de trivandrum vers chennai le même jour où je repars sur paris. Je prends la compagnie JET AIRWAYS, j'arrive à chennai vers 13 heures et mon avion pour la france est vers 21 heures.
Je confirme, ne surtout pas manquer Hampi
Je ne sais pas si on t'a dit à Ooty, il y a un petit train bleu qui te fait faire 3 heures de ballade dans les montagnes avec ses petits villages et les plantations de thé. c'est sympa de faire une halte à mi chemin pour profiter de cette environnement
Si tu fais Munnar (à 1 jour de Cochin), pas la peine de faire Periyar, pour moi Munnar est mieux
Cochin est pour moi fabuleux, j'y ai passé un mois dans une guest house (à 500 m du bord de mer) dont je ne suis plus arrivée à décoller ainsi que bien d'autres touristes. Très propre, très bon accueil, je peux t'envoyer leurs coordonnées
A Cochin ne manque pas Matancheri, tu peux y faire aussi de la musique et de la peinture avec un type super sympa (Josha) tout le monde le connait
Marie
salut,
c'est bizarre il ne te propose pas de passer par Trichy et Tanjore, c'est dommage. Hampi est certes superbe mais à mon avis un peu loin par rapport à ton itinéraire de base.
Si tu veux voir quelques photos du sud:
http://www.voyagesvoyages.net/album-357611.html
et un aperçu d'Hampi (juste pour le plaisir, vu que c'est un peu loin...):
http://www.voyagesvoyages.net/article-12273383.html
Je veux bien l'adresse de la GH à cochin. Par contre quand tu écris munnar cochin à 1 journée, tu me fais peur. Quand je lis les différents guides de voyages, c'est apparemment à 4 h 30 de bus, c'est pas très long !!
salut
je suppose que tu arrives le 19 a chennai, donc 2 jours en place : HORREUR, fuis fuis chennai, c'est une ville polluée comme toutes les villes de l'inde ou il n'y a vraiment pas grand chose a voir
1 jour a mahaballipuram c'est ok
pondicherry oui oui - j'habite a coté a auroville
Kumbakonam et Karaikudi je ne connais pas
madurai oui
munnar c'est beau prends un bon pull ca caille
periyar bof, attrape nigaud moi la 1ère, mais tu peux quand meme voir quelques éléphants, bisons, sangliers et autres bestioles avec de la chance - tu peux faire une ballade pour 500 roupies avec un guide et ne voir que des crottes d'éléphants, ramener plein plein de sangsues dans tes godasses mais tu auras de belles photos
kumarakum c'est le palace dans le kerala je crois, backwaters oui c'est magnifique le kérala
et apres kovalam ?, bof, trop de touristes pour ma part, et pourquoi pas cochin ?
tu t'envoles d'ou pour le retour en france ? tu voyages seule ?
salut
je suppose que tu arrives le 19 a chennai, donc 2 jours en place : HORREUR, fuis fuis chennai, c'est une ville polluée comme toutes les villes de l'inde ou il n'y a vraiment pas grand chose a voir
j'adore Chennai. Il suffit d'ouvrir grand les yeux pour voir .😎
bon tu aimes, ok, mais pour ma part 15 ans en inde, je fuis les villes, les embouteilages et leur pollution
oui, OK, je te comprends. Mais, ici c'est un forum de VOYAGEURS, pas d'expat, donc pour ceux qui ne connaissent pas ces grandes villes on ne peux pas dire : y a rien a voir...C'est vrai, au bout de 15 ans, Chennai, c'est pas la joie, mais en tant que touriste plein de choses a decouvrir. 😉
d'accord avec Marco. faut pas exagérer avec Chennaï. Elle ne se laisse pas apprivoiser au premier coup d'oeil.
j'ai aimé cette ville, peut être bien qu'il n'y a rien à voir de clinquant par rapport à Pondi, c'est crade par endroits ok mais sincèrement pour y être resté une semaine à sillonner la ville en bicyclette, j'ai trouvé les gens cools et honnêtes. Ici pas besoin de batailler comme à Hampi....
Faut aller du coté de Adyar Elliott Beach, belle plage, marché aux poissons et rues très animées avec tout ce qu'il faut.
Pour aller de Cochin à Munnar, j'ai pris un taxi qui m'a permis de m'arrêter là ou je voulais, c'est pourquoi, j'ai mis une journée, sinon, oui pour le bus, tu as raison, un peu plus de 5h
Pour la guest house de Cochi :
Bastian George
Bastian Home Stay (près de Santa Cruz Basilica dans une petite ruelle tranquille)
I/1276E N. Thamaraparambu Lane
Chirattapalam
tel : 0484-6542716
email : georgebastian1@yahoo.com
mais, il ne répond pas rapidement il vaut mieux téléphoner
et là bas fais toi conduire par un rikshow chez eux
Quand tu iras parle leur de moi, ( Marie) et dis leur que je les aime
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
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
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 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!
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!
