India Travel Forum

I'm visiting India for three weeks in September from London. I really need some advice about the Himalayan towns. I would love to visit Leh (from Delhi) and the surrounding area. Is it as hard to get to by road as the Lonely Planet guide suggests?I don't want to fly there because of the altitude.There will be two of us travelling. The alternative is to fly to Kolkata and go up to Darjeeling then on to Sikkim and the Tawang Valley. I can't decide which to do. I'm no stranger to uncomfortable road journeys but I'm more worried about time constraints as I don't want to be on the road for three weeks!I'd love to see some dramatic scenery, I have dreams of desolate places with prayer flags blowing in the wind! Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice!

Hi

It is really difficult to choose from the two places that you have choosen.

One factor that can make the difference is that if you want to see Alps like mountains then Sikkim is the choice but if you want to experience Cold Desert Mountains with no greenery then Ladakh is the one.

Or Still better 2 weeks in Ladakh and 1 week in Sikkim.

Flying in to Leh is not an issue. For Mountain sickness all u need is to acclimatize by resting the first day.

Road to Leh will be open and motorable both via Srinagar or Manali. 1st week of
September is also Ladakh festival week. You will be able to see lots of cultural festivals, Archery competitions etc. And best of all less tourist.

Sorry if I have made it more difficult for u to choose.

Happy Travelling.

Angchuk

I think you would like Goshaini in Himachal Pradesh.You could check out my Himachal pradesh pages.you could also google search on goshaini.the man running raju's guesthouse in goshaini has been to Leh and could advise you on that also.His tel.no. is 0091(0)1903201108/00919418149808.
Hope this helps,

Hi,

The best option in my openion should be to travel by an overnight Volvo coach from Delhi to Manali (15 hours), stay a day there and then travel on to Leh by road that will require 2 or 3 days, just relax the first day in Leh for weather acclimatization and Ladakh is all yours.

Chin2

Hello,

I have never been to India and don't have any logistical advice. However there is a wonderful Canadian travel TV show called Departures with beautiful photography that did two episodes in India and traveled to many of the places you mention. I recognized the city of Leh from this show. I don't think it is available in the UK (only Canada/US) but if you could get these two episodes somehow it may give you great ideas and fuel your dreams. At the very least it will be enjoyable to watch considering your travel interests. After seeing these two episodes many times I instantly understood your "dreams of desolate places with prayer flags blowing in the wind" comment.

I would go to Darjeeling. I went there last year and it was great. The Leh area can be dangerous at times with political unrest and bombings etc. When I was i India I was going to go to Srinigar and changed my mind. The day I was to arrive there was a bombing. Having said that when I was in Darjeeling I was caught in a strike by the Gorkas. Check the political situation in both places to decide. I have a blog at www.travelpod.com/members hope it helps

Thankyou so much to everyone for all your suggestions!They've all been very helpful and thoughtful. I appreciate your time and knowledge!

Hi
If you fly into Kolkata- it is a good idea to spend 2 days there. A fascinating city, and should not be missed.