India (North and South) in January-March - thoughts, tips an

badgerjockey

Hi there,

Myself and a friend are hoping to go on a 6-week tour this winter to India. It will be our first visits to India although we have cycle toured elsewhere before and travelled fairly extensively.

It would be great to hear anyone else's experiences while riding in India, I have heard a lot of horror stories about the roads but an equal measure of encouragement too...

I am stuck, however, with deciding where to go. I have been looking for regions which have shortish distances between towns, villages and sights, with a climate which will be fine for riding in at this time of year and enough to fill six weeks. I plan to spend stretched at national parks/reserves too as I am not much of a city-dweller and am a a wildlife watcher at heart. I am not averse to one or two train trips as well to cut out some of the longer distances but would rather not rely on this much.

I have basically whittled it down to:

- Himalayan foothills - but not too high due to the cold! (Places could include Corbett NP, Ranikhet, Almora, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradun, Chandigarh, Shimla... Suggestions please!).

- Kerala, S Karnataka, W Tamil Nadu (Places could include Western Ghats, Ooty, Fort Cochin, Trivandrum and the many parks along the way... Suggestions please!).

Is it madness to be riding in the southern Himalayan foothills at that time of year? We are fine with cool weather, being British, but would rather not have to bring thick sleeping gear or lots of layers. Is tent/sleeping bag necessary at all?

Have I completely missed out some obvious amazing places I shouldn't miss?

Have I overlooked other amazing areas which would make a good 5/6week trip?

Literally any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,

H

cagebomb

I'm going to be in north India at that time of year. I'm spending most of December and January cycling through Nepal and doing the Everest base camp trail (not with the bike) then heading back down to India. Varanasi then on to Agra, Jaipur and Delhi. Like you I'm not really a city person but there are some great things to see in these cities so I don't want to miss them and I'm sure I'll see plenty of countryside and rural areas between those places.
It will be cold at night even at lower altitudes so I think a sleeping bag is necessary. I'm also taking a survival bag. You never know.
I've tried to get some advice on here for my trip but not had much luck yet. I think you should check out these links:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1 ... 7360&v=2Pr
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1 ... 3951&v=5nL
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/inde ... 8251&v=1rY

The traffic is the only thing thats bothering me.
Good luck.

christophersanchez

In north India one of the best place to visit is Corbett National Park. This is a primeval beauty and the picturesque ambiance accentuates it. The topography of Corbett National Park is varied with hilly and reverie areas, marshes, plateaus and ravines. Sal and sesame trees dominate the Flora in Corbett National Park. The Fauna in Corbett National Park is fascinating. Tourism in Corbett National Park Tourist Places has been steadily growing since its inception. However many tourists are not aware of the fact that there are several other attractive places to see around this national park.

satanas

The Kullu Valley in HP is also worth a visit if you have time, though it is likely to be cold. Unless you really want to camp, I wouldn't bother taking tents, etc, to India. It shouldn't be hard to find a cheap place to stay every night unless you're planning on going somewhere very strange indeed.

Be extremely careful indeed(!) about water. The best solution is NOT to buy bottled water as this creates vast amounts of waste that isn't recyclable in India or Nepal. Better to use iodine solution (available locally), or some other means of filtering or treating tap/stream water. Be careful about raw foods like salads too; anything cooked is fine.

If you're going to Shimla (or anywhere else), DO NOT attempt to catch the train without the help of a local; some railway porters are good at getting the reams of paperwork done and the bike onto the train. If you attempt it yourself it's likely you'll fail; this is very annoying. It is generally much easier to travel by bus with a bike than by train in India IME.

Bear in mind that spare parts and decent tools won't be easy to find, and that tubes are likely to have Woods valves, so take an adaptor that will fit them. Things have been improving, but quality bikes with gears are rare. They can be hired in some places but spares have been a problem.

You should have a great trip as long as you avoid cities. Bear in mind that in India it is essential for your sanity to not be anal about things happening on time; they will happen when they happen and there's nothing you can do about it. Relax and enjoy yourself! It's a great country and I'd be happy to go back tomorrow...