Nous partons en couple, la soixantaine, début avril. J'ai retenu qu'il fallait prendre une loc avec chauffeur : j'ai lancé les devis.
Pour le circuit voici ce que ça pourrait donner. Des remarques, erreurs, oublis, ... Merci d'avance.
J1 (V) : Arrivée Chennai 23h40. Route pour Mahabalipuram (1h30 – 54km)
J2 (S) : Mahabalipuram : Visite des temples
J3 (D) : Route pour Pondichéry. Visite d’Auroville en cours de route (2h30 – 110km)
J4 (L) : Visite Pondichéry
J5 (Ma) : Route pour Madurai avec visites en chemin (env. 6h – 330km)
J6 (Me) : Visite Madurai
J7 (J) : Rameswaram (3h30 – 172km)
J8 (V) : Rameswaram. Fin de visites et repos à l'hôtel (on a réservé au Hyatt pour souffler un peu)
J9 (S) : Mahabalipuram (6h45 – 418km). Route tôt pour une visite de temple en fin de journée
J10 (D) : Jour du départ. Etre à l’aéroport à 22h10.
Pour cette dernière journée, j'ai 2 options :
1) Partir tôt et faire Kanchipuram (2h de route – 67km + ½ journée de visites) puis rejoindre directement l’aéroport sans visiter Chennai (2h – 63km)
2) Visite de Chennai
Une préférence ?
Une des agences de location avec chauffeur me dit qu'il vaudrait mieux couper la route Rameswaram-Mahabalipuram en 2 car c'est trop long (google donne 515km/9h). Ca m'ennuie. Un avis également ?
L'idée de revenir sur Mahabalipuram, c'est d'être pas loin de Chennai avant le jour du retour.
On en profiterai pour, soit visiter un temple en fin de journée (il parait que l'atmosphère est particulière), soit de faire une étape tranquille hors des bruits de la ville.
Pour l'itinéraire, vu qu'il y a déjà 550km, 9h de route, je pense qu'ils vont au plus direct. Nous n'avons pas détaillé de point. Je suis preneur de toute idée pour mieux organiser nos J9 et J10.
Bonjour
Nous partons nous aussi début avril pour chenai et notre heure d’arrivee est la même que vous
Nous pensons prendre un hotel à chenai pour 2 nuits et partir ensuite vers le sud .
Pour les chauffeurs pourriez vous me donner des renseignements et les prix
Je n’ai pas encore cherché
Nous restons 2 semaines, je commence à tracer un itinéraire et je veux bien partager des idées de lieux à visiter
Merci pour votre réponse
Pour les locations avec chauffeurs, voici les infos que j'ai pu avoir par différents membres sur le forum qui en ont été satisfaits. Par contre, pas de retour d'expériences puisque ce sera en même temps que vous !
1) www.bas-das.com/ anglophone. Mail : contact@bas-das.com
2) Southview Tours www.southviewtours.fr/ Murali le boss parle très bien français, dixit des membres du forum, mais je n'ai pas testé (mail en anglais)
Mail via formulaire de contact sur leur site
3) Moksha Tours www.mokshatours.com/ direction anglophone
4) Chauffeur indépendant Mani Monika. Mail : manimonika08@gmail.com
Les 4 ont été réactifs et ont répondu à mon mail.
"bas-bas" et "southview tours" m'ont également proposés des hôtels.
Bas-das, plutôt des hôtels gamme moyenne, Southview, plutôt la gamme au dessus. Bien sûr les prix vont avec.
J'ai finalement choisi moi-même mes hôtels et "bas-das" m'a renvoyé très rapidement un devis adapté. J'attends celui de southview
Les 2 autres préférent que je réserve par moi-même.
Pour l'instant, pour des hôtels plutôt "haut de gamme" (localement) et un véhicule de type "Toyota Innova", je suis à 1200euros pour 9nuits, 10jours, petit déj compris. Beaucoup diront, sans doute avec raison, que c'est cher pour l'Inde. Mais je fais le choix de monter en gamme pour profiter pleinement des vacances sans inquiétudes.
Voilà pour quelques infos. Difficile de te conseiller car je n'ai pas pratiqué, mais en tous cas les 4 semblent très pro (réactivité dans les réponses, ajustement par rapport à mes demandes).
As-tu réservé les sièges dans l'avion (20euros/pax et par vol 🤪)?
Moi non. J'hésite : comme c'est un avion en configuration 2-4-2, je me dis qu'on devrait pouvoir obtenir une rangée de 2 pour nous ...
Bonsoir
Merci pour ta réponse, je vais regarder ce week-end pour ce qui concerne les chauffeurs,
Ça nous gêne un peu d’en avoir un en permanence, nous préférerions en prendre un au fur et à mesure de notre périple.
En ce qui concerne les places d’avion, je n’ai malheureusement pas pu réserver nos sièges
Quelle compagnie as tu pris ?
Et quel jour partez vous ?
A titre perso, je viens de confirmer pour Southviews tours pour voiture et hôtels. Sincèrement, c'est équivalent avec bas-das (tarif, rapidité de réponses aux mails, clarté de la proposition). Il fallait bien en choisir un!
Je les ai choisi car dès le premier devis, se sont eux qui m'ont proposé des hôtels correspondant le mieux à nos attentes, même si das-bas m'a fait ensuite des propositions identiques dès que je leur ai dit que ça ne me convenait pas. En plus, ils proposent un paiement en euros, ce qui est pratique.
A noter qu'en passant par l'agence pour les hôtels, ça me coûte 56euros de plus que les meilleurs tarifs que j'ai pu trouver par moi-même. C'est la facilité pour un surcoût acceptable.
Si on arrive à la même heure, je suppose que c'est le même avion! Vol Jet Airways.
La réservation des sièges peut être faite en téléphonant à Jet Airways au :
01 49 52 41 15
Pour des locs partielles, je ne connais pas. Ce que j'ai compris, c'est que le chauffeur s'adaptait et savait te laisser tranquille si tu veux être tranquille.
La proposition la moins chère que j'ai eu pour le véhicule a été par Moksha Tour : 330euros pour 10jours (véhicule Toyota Etios). A voir si les compagnies te proposent un tarifs plus intéressant en morcelant?
Merci pour tes infos
J’ai contacté la compagnie aérienne hier, mais comme j’ai réservé les billets par Air France
Ça pose un problème, je dois les ré contacter demain
J’ai aussi pris contact avec Southview, je dois leur transmettre mon itinéraire, je suis en train de le tracer
Je viens de regarder le tien, n’est il pas un peu trop speed ?
Je vais suivre les grandes lignes du tien, mais on ne fera pas tout car nous aimons bien flâner
Cordialement
si c'est trop en 2 semaines, les voitures ne dépassent guère les 60/70 km/h c'est hyper fatigant et alors vous n'apprécierez pas le séjour à sa mesure. dommage.
Je reviens vers vous car je coince un peu sur les 2jours à la fin (J9 et J10) !
Notre programme est le suivant :
J1 : Arrivée dans la nuit, transfert pour Mahabalipuram
J2 : Mahabalipuram
J3 : Route pour Pondicherry, visite en cours
J4 : Pondicherry
J5 : Route pour Madurai, visite en cours
J6 : Madurai
J7 : Route et visite Rameswaram
J8 : Rameswaram
Ensuite, c'est là où j'ai un doute. Pour l'instant il est prévu et réservé :
J9 : Route tôt le matin pour Mahabalipuram, éventuellement visite d'un temple en fin de journée et/ou glandouille à la piscine de l'hôtel.
J10 : Route et visite de Kanchipuram. Etre à l'aéroport à 22h.
En fait, je me demande s'il n'y aurait pas intérêt à couper la route en 2 entre Rameswaram et Kanchipuram pour faire :
J9 : Route pour quelque part au milieu du chemin => Où et pour voir quoi en route ou à destination ?
J10 : fin de route, visite de Kanchipuram puis route pour l'aéroport de Chennai à 22h.
je vous recommande de mon côté les services de Moise, que je connais depuis de nombreuses années car avant d'être chauffeur il travaillait pour une assos humanitaire française identique à la mienne et lorsque cette assos a arrêté d'exercer en Inde (à Pondicherry), il s'est reconverti comme chauffeur et guide. Il parle français (mais l'écrit est moins bien que l'oral, on le comprend de toutes façons). Il réalise pas mal de circuits pour nos parrains qui sont très satisfaits de ses prestations. Il est d'ailleurs assez sollicité mais je pense qu'il sera libre à l'époque de votre voyage en Inde.
Je vous laisse ci-après ses coordonnées.
Moise : moysan77@gmail.com
Portable : +91 94 8651 99 47
tel fixe : 91 413 222 83 90
skype : moysan077
salut Caussat
Tu m as demandé mon avis en MP. Je te donne ma reponse en mess à tous pour que cela puisse servir éventuellement a d autres.
1ere remarque : est ce encore des vacances que de partir si loin pour si peu de temps ? Mais tu n as sans doute pas le choix.
2 je pense en effet qu il est interessant en si peu de temps d eviter Chennai. Je suis alle moi aussi directement a mamallapuram, mais en bus ce qui m a couté environ 50 roupies (1300 rs en taxi prepaid a l aeroport). Ne pas changer d argent a l aeroport (20% moins interessant. Taxes, taux...) Le taxi prepaid te les change (au noir) a bon prix
3 Mahäbalipuram (ou mamallapuram) . J ai bcp aimé et j y suis revenu au retour. Plein de bonnes GH pas cheres et agréables. Massage + au greenwoods. Pour les photos aller le matin à la colline de l'arjuna 's penance et le krishna butter ball, et l apres midi aux five rathas. sinon vous n aurez que des contre jour. (j y suis allé plusieurs fois pour le plaisir et l ambiance)
Pour les bains des fidèles c est le matin près du shore temple
Excellent resto : Le Nautilus . Tb accueil de JJ le patron français depuis 28 ans la bas
4 Mamallapuram - Pondichéry 2h de route en bus. De quellesvisites tuparles en cours de route ?
Auroville ? Pas de visites tres spéciales a Pondi, juste une ambiance, des balades dans les 3 quartiers, français la ville blanche, tamoul et musulman tres differents et agréables . L ashram de sri Aurobindo, bof, bof sauf si t es convaincu. c est comme Tombouctou il n y a rien à voir mais il faut y passer ! Le temple, oui mais c est rapide. Le Rai nivas, tres joli ...
Resto le Richmond rue la Bourdonnais. Class et TB au prix du basique
j pour Pondi si vous n avez que 10 jours c est bcp sauf pour la balade
5 Pondi- madurai ... sans s arreter a Tanjore ou trichy c est un blasphème ! Quitte a s allonger un peu passer par la cote et Tranquebar (le fort danois) et Karikal
6 Tanjore . Temple de Brihadishara A faire a la tombee de la nuit et le lendemain matin au lever du soleil. lmbiance et les lumières sont différentes. Et le temple de Maratha palace avec ses nombreuses et belles statues . C est rapide mais inevitable
7 Trichy le temple aux 7 enceintes (sriramgan temple) et le Rock fort . Vous ne pouvez pas ne pas vous y arreter a l aller ou au retour.
8 Madurai . l ennui c est que les enceintes intérieures sont interdites aux non indous. Attention pantalon long ou longi BLANC
9 Pourquoi aller jusqu a rameswaram et faire 2 fois 300km en 2 jours ? C est peut etre bien mais en si peu de temps autant se contenter du Chettinad moins loin
10 retour Rameswaram- mamallapuram d une seule traite c est d ela folie. Arretez vous a Tanjore ou trichy si vous ne l avez pas fait a l aller. (meme si j aime bcp mamallapuram)
11 Kanchipuram Personnellement cela ne m a pas emballe, mais a chacun ses coups de cœur (2 h en tuktuk)
Pour un sejour si court vous avez raison d avoir reservé une voiture avec chauffeur. Je l ai fait en bus c est tres facile mais en prenant plus de temps;
Je pense qu il vaut mieux avoir le meme chauffeur que de changer a chaques destination. Il vous servira de guide supplementaire et pourra vous faire decouvrir des choses supplémentaires
C est mon point de vue
A CHACUN SON VOYAGE
Un seul truc : partez plus longtemps. Mieux vaut un vol long courrier que 2 vols moyens courrier. c est meilleur pour la planete !!!
gg
Merci pour toutes ces infos !!! 🙂
Je fais re-réfléchir pour le retour en J9 - J10 ...
C'est vrai que c'est court, et ce n'est généralement pas notre manière de voyager. Mais nous partons sur le reste de congés de l'année passée et cet été c'est un mois aux USA, donc difficile de tout concilier.
Ca nous donnera envie de revenir en prenant plus notre temps une prochaine fois.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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We’re heading to Sri Lanka for 23 days in January 2027—there are four of us—and we’ll wrap up the trip with 5 days in Mumbai. Our itinerary is coming together, but what do you think? (We can’t change the dates since our flights are already booked.)
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.
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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?
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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.
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Practical tips from my 105 days of erratic wandering in India
Day 1 (10/10/2006): arrived in Mumbai around noon. Bus No. 338 5 Rs + 5 Rs (bag) 20' to Andheri station. Train 6 Rs to Dadar. Train 41 Rs to Lonavla 2h30 Hotel Chandralok 500 Rs **
Day 2: bike rental 7 Rs/h (too expensive, normal price 2-3 Rs/h) visit to the caves of Bhaja and Karla.
Day 3: train 28 Rs to Pune 1h20 Hotel National 416 Rs *
Day 4: train 141 Rs (with reservation) to Satara 2h45 Hotel Sagar 364 Rs **
Day 5: bus 110 Rs to Pandharpur 4h Hotel Aishwarya 450 Rs ***
Day 6: bike rental 2 Rs/h
Day 7: bus 125 Rs to Ahmadnagar 4h20 Hotel Parijat 250 Rs *
Day 8: train 151 Rs (!ticket for a mini 600 km trip!) to Jalgaon 5h30 Hotel Plaza 200 Rs **
Day 9: round-trip bus 38 Rs to Ajanta 1h30 + shuttle 6 Rs 5' Site entrance 250 Rs
Day 10: train 47 Rs to Khandwa 3h + bus 40 Rs to Omkareshwar 2h Ganesh G.H. 150 Rs *
Day 11 to 13: Omkareshwar
Day 14: bus 35 Rs to Maheshwar 2h45 Akashdeep Rest House 200 Rs **
Day 15: bus 8 Rs to Dhamnod 20' bus 20 Rs to crossroads 14 km from Mandu 1h40 bus 9 Rs to Mandu 20' Ram Mandir Dharamshala 100 Rs + 5 Rs for hot water *
Day 16: bike rental 3 Rs/h
Day 17: bus 50 Rs to Indore 4h Hotel Neelam 209 Rs
Day 18 to 20: Indore + round-trip bus 30 Rs to Ujjain 1h45
Day 21: train 82 Rs to Bhopal 5h30 Hotel Ranjeet 358 Rs *
Day 22: train 10 Rs to Sanchi 1h20 Jaiswal Lodge 200 Rs + 15 Rs for hot water! *
Day 23 and 24: visit to Sanchi + bike rental to visit the caves of Udayagiri
Day 25: train 69 Rs to Jhansi 5h + tempo 5 Rs to bus station + tempo 10 Rs + 5 Rs (bag) to Orccha 25' Sri Mahant G.H. 200 Rs **
Day 26 and 27: bike rental + train 20 Rs to Datia 30' + bemo 6 Rs to city center. Return bus 15 Rs 1h15
Day 28: bus 100 Rs to Khajuraho 4h Yogi Lodge 150 Rs **
Day 29: bike rental 30 Rs/day to visit the temples
Day 30: bus 70 Rs to Satna 4h + train 56 Rs to Jabalpur 3h Hotel Banjara 350 Rs **
Day 31: bike rental 2 Rs/h and visit to the Marble Rocks (50 km round trip)
Day 32: bus 50 Rs to Mandla 3h Hotel Satyam 250 Rs ** Round-trip bus 15 Rs to Ramnagar 1h15
Day 33: bus 60 Rs to Dindori 4h + bus 45 Rs to Amarkantak 3h (hellish road) Sarvodya Lodge 250 Rs °
Day 34: Amarkantak
Day 35: bus 25 Rs to Pendra Road 1h30 + train 120 Rs + 109 Rs (reservation) to Nagpur 8h Hotel Grand 257 Rs **
Day 36 and 37: bike rental + round-trip 25 Rs to Ramtek 1h40
Day 38: train 141 Rs + 125 Rs to Hyderabad 10h Hotel 3 Castles 200 Rs ° + Hotel Suhail 200 Rs °
Day 39 to 41: stay in Hyderabad
Day 42: train 48 Rs to Warangal 3h30 Hotel Surya 410 Rs **
Day 43: 60 Rs to Vijayawada 4h15 Hotel Sindhuri 275 Rs **
Day 44: round-trip bus 21 Rs to Amaravati 2h
Day 45: train 98 Rs to Visakhapatnam 7h30! (normally 6h) Hotel Sri Sampath Residency 250 Rs **
Day 46: train 111 Rs + 95 Rs to Puri 11h30 Travellers Inn 100 Rs ° + Hotel Z 300 Rs ***
Day 47 to 52: Puri + round-trip to Konarak
Day 53: train 38 Rs to Bhubaneshwar 1h15 Hotel Upasana 275 Rs *
Day 54: train 70 Rs to Balasore 4h bus 26 Rs to Baripada 1h40 Hotel Ambika 225 Rs °
Day 55: bus 25 Rs to Balasore 1h40 train 66 Rs + 68 Rs to Calcutta 6h30 Hotel Paragon 270 Rs * Hotel Crystal 350 Rs **
Day 56 to 62: Calcutta
Day 63: 60 Rs to Bishnupur 5h Hotel Monalisa 200 Rs *
Day 64: stay in Bishnupur no bike rental!
Day 65: bus 20 Rs to Bankura 1h30 bus 20 Rs to Durgapur 1h15 bus 28 Rs to Bolpur 2h15 Hotel Nisa 150 Rs *
Day 66 and 67: visit to Bolpur/Shantiniketan. Refused bike rental at ... 100 Rs/day!!! (Communist state of Bengal!!!)
Day 68: bus 20 Rs to Sainthia bus 35 Rs to Baharampur 4h30 bus 7 Rs to Murshidabad 40' Hotel Manjusha 350 Rs **
Day 69: bike lent by the friendly hotel owner and visit to Murshidabad
Day 70: bus 8 Rs to Baharampur 35' bus 60 Rs to Malda 6h (hellish road) Hotel Pratapaditya 231 Rs **
Day 71: train 66 Rs + 70 Rs to New Jalpaiguri 4h Hotel Holydon 250 Rs °
Day 72: train 52 Rs to Darjeeling 9h30! (normally 7h) Hotel Pineridge 500 Rs **
Day 73 to 75: Darjeeling
Day 76: train to New Jalpaiguri 9h30 + overnight train 271 Rs
Day 77: Patna Hotel President 482 Rs **
Day 78: stay in Patna
Day 79: train 18 Rs to Gaya 3h10 tempo 10 Rs to Bodhgaya 30' Deep G.H. 400 Rs!! °°
Day 80: return to Patna
Day 81: round-trip train 36 Rs to Rajgir 4h! (normally 3h)
Day 82: train 75 Rs to Varanasi 5h! (normally 4h) Yogi Lodge 150 Rs *
Day 83 to 87: Varanasi
Day 88: overnight train 310 Rs to Jaipur Evergreen G.H. 250 Rs **
Day 89: bike rental 30 Rs/day round-trip to Amber
Day 90: bus 59 Rs to Sikar 2h30 bus 23 Rs to Fatehpur 1h30 Rajshri Rest House 300 Rs *
Day 91: round-trip bus 12 Rs to Mandawa 30'
Day 92: round-trip bus 17 Rs to Churu 1h30
Day 93: bus 80 Rs to Jaipur 3h30 Evergreen G.H.
Day 94: bus 105 Rs to Bundi 5h30 Shivam G.H. 200 Rs **
Day 95: bike rental 3 Rs/h
Day 96: auto-rickshaw to station 45 Rs 25' train 44 Rs + 50 Rs to Chittorgarh train 21 Rs to Udaipur (total trip 8h) Badi Haveli 330 Rs **
Day 97 to 99: Udaipur + round-trip bus 45 Rs to Ranakpur 3h30
Day 100: bus 143 Rs to Ahmedabad 5h30 Hotel Manila 300 Rs **
Day 101: Ahmedabad
Day 102: bus 99 Rs to Bhavnagar 4h30 Hotel Vrindavan 200 Rs *
Day 103: round-trip bus 22 Rs to Palitana 1h10
Day 104: bus 85 Rs! to Ahmedabad 5h30 + overnight train ? Rs (feels like the end of the trip!)
Day 105 (January 22, 2007): train 6 Rs from Dadar to Andheri 20' + bus 5 Rs + 5 Rs (bag) to International Airport 20'
More figures
British Airways flight price Brussels-London-Mumbai-London-Brussels 576 €
Exchange rate from 55 Rs to 58.6 Rs per euro
Average room price 272 Rs/night
Daily budget 11 €
Chai from 1 Rs (Calcutta-Bengal) to 6/7 Rs (Rajasthan)
Bottle of water from 6 Rs (Udaipur), 8 Rs (Varanasi) to 12/13 Rs
Internet from 8 Rs (Warangal), 10 Rs (Calcutta, Indore, Hyderabad), 20 Rs (often) to 40/60 Rs!! (Rajasthan)
Beer in a restaurant from 85/100 Rs (often) to 150/165 Rs (Varanasi/Udaipur)
More details on request
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.
