[Bumblebee]

Hi,

i'm planning to travel in India for a longer time: several months - a year?..
My itinerary would be in big lines:
- North in July-October
- South in November-?

I will depart in July or August and since the weather in the north is then good, I would first go there. I heard that Ladakh is good to visit untill end September. However, in July and August it would be crowded by tourists.. What about later in ladakh when there's snow; I know you cannot hike there that time, but I guess it can be a nice time to spend time in monasteries or some meditation centre then?
Can I only leave Ladakh by plane in winter? What about summer; is a plane better or is Delhi-Ladakh over land OK?
I wanted to spend some time in Nepal too then, but guess this may be too much.. (since I do not plan to hop from one place to another fast, but want to spend longer times in ashrams etc)

I also wonder uptill when other northern states have a nice climate: Himachal pradesh, Uttaranchal, Punjab? Is it OK to travel there in October, November, December? What about rajasthan, Sikkim during these months? Which time is OK to visit these, taking into account extreme warmth as well as too cold

I have visited India before, but then only visited Mumbai and Pune so I only know when the weather is good there

Thanks a lot!
helga

Edited by john.sw, 19 May 2007 - 05:44 PM.

[john.sw]

A normal Tourist Visa allows you to stay for a maximum of six months from the date that the visa was issued, so it is worth taking this into account if you want to stay for longer than six months.

I stay in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and the weather there is normally good from August until March, inclusive.

Having said that, there is a lot of pleasure to be had in the monsoons!

I'm sure other members will advise you about the weather in the rest of the country.

All the best,

John

[jyotirmoy]

July and August is monsoon time in northern India. The plains of northern India will be hot & humid. Except Lahul, Spiti & Leh there will be frequent rains in the mountains. How ever this is the best time to visit the Valley of Flowers in Uttaranchal.
September & October is good time to visit the mountains. I would recommend February and March for visiting Sikkim.
October & November is the best time to travel in Rajasthan.

[Bumblebee]

Thanks for the information!

Quote

A normal Tourist Visa allows you to stay for a maximum of six months from the date that the visa was issued

I thought of leaving the country (Nepal or Thailand) in between my trip and apply for a new visa there. This should be no problem, or? I wonder; is it also possible to apply for a visa extension in India itself, or do I really need to get out of the country?

Edited by Bumblebee, 20 May 2007 - 04:04 PM.

[john.sw]

I don't need a visa, so I can't really help you with this.

You can post the question in the Passports & Visas section and I'm sure someone will help you out!