Magster2005

My husband has always dreamed of seeing the Himalayas (wanted to be a mountain climber when he was a kid). We are in our 60's, pretty adventurous, but with no desire to put ourselves in harm's way. We are not hikers but would want to enjoy the incredible views and explore the local cultures.

I have identified several possibilities, but most of them have potential drawbacks in terms of political unrest and general safety. Bhutan, of course, is the safest option but also the most restrictive and expensive.

So, of these possiblities (and there may be more) what would you suggest?

Bhutan
Nepal
Northern India -- Darjeeling and West Bengal Hills or Ladakh
Tibet

Thanks for your help!

Kathie

The best views I've seen were in Sikkim - NE India. Driving through Sikkim is amazing. ANd the place people go to see the Himalayas in Sikkim is Pelling. Photos here: http://www.marlandc.com/Sikkim/galle...yas/index.html You also get a lovely taste of the Tibetan culture in Sikkim, as there have always been Tibetans in Sikkim and a number of monasteries moved to Sikkim after the Chinese takeover of Tibet

The views from our hotel (Ellgin Mt. Padim) were the best I've seen... better than Darjeeling, better than Nepal. If you opt to go to Nepal, the best views will be from the "flightseeing' plane that flies along the ridge toward Everest and back.

Here is my trip report: http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...p-to-india.cfm

Magster2005

Kathie -- Thank you so much! Your report and the photos are amazing, and the region sounds phenomenal. My only concern are the strikes and roadblocks that I keep reading about. Did you see (or hear) anything about that?

Kathie

There are periodic strikes and roadblocks. We read everything we could about it and ultimately decided that sine we had no control over it, we wouldn't worry about it. We did craft a "Plan B" which meant we would go to Kolkata first, then to Sikkim. It would have been a hassle - contacting our hotels and changing dates, etc, but it was a reasonable plan.

The big strikes are planned and publicized months in advance, so you can avoid those. No guarantees they won't have a spontaneous one when you w ant to go. If you do go into Darjeeling, you'll see signs saying "Welcome to Ghorkaland" which is what the strikes are about - demanding a Ghorka homeland.

You might go to www.indiamike.com which is a forum only about India. There is one section on Sikkim specifically. People on that board will warn about planned strikes.

Magster2005

Thanks, Kathie! Every trip carries with it a certain level of uncertainty, and I have no problem dealing with a reasonable amount of that -- thanks for the India Mike suggestion too. Sikkim looks ideal for us. I think it has moved to the top of our list.

Kathie

I do hope you go - it was an amazing trip for us. SInce seeing the Himalayas is your mission, plan to spend several days at the Elgin Mt. Padim to give yourselves a good chance to see the spectacular peaks. The hotel is lovely and the couple who runs it is a delight.

rkkwan

The Himalayas is a long mountain range. Do you want to see any section or peak in particular? I have seen Everest from the Chinese side, and can tell you the logistics of it. There is NO safety concern traveling in Tibet. The only problem is Chinese authorities not allowing foreign tourists, in particular around March.

But baring that, it's easy to see Everest (if that's what you want to see) from the Chinese side. Toyota Landcruisers can go directly to the so-called "base camp", with zero walking required. [The actual base camp for climbing is just slightly ahead, but the view is basically the same.] From Lhasa, one can get there within a day, if not stopping for other sites; or it's usually done as a 3-day/2-night trip with first night in Shigatse, and then the 2nd night in a tent at the "base camp" before returning to Lhasa.

The "base camp" for overnight stay is just above 5,000m/16,400ft (and the road goes over a few passes slightly higher). So, it's better to get oneself acclimatized in Lhasa before the excursion.

Of course, foreign tourists going to Tibet has to use a travel agent to arrange for the Tibet Travel Bureau permit and use their services while inside Tibet. But main point is that there's no safety issue.

Here are the photos of the Everest portion of my 3-week trip in Tibet in 2010:
http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/tibet061310
http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/tibet061410

manisha_30

Himalays have longest mountain range in India...U can see those lovely mountain ranges from Kashmir to Himachal Pradesh(Leh,Manali,Maclotganj etc)or uttrakhand it all depends on what u basically like....U can enjoy luxurious holidays to rough & tough activities....Pl.be little more specific so I may help u little more....by large India is peaceful as long as one follows basic 8:00 am- 7 pm rules .

Magster2005

Thank you all for your comments. At this point, I am leaning toward India. One reason is the lower altitude -- the 16,400 ft. in Tibet may be pushing it for us. My husband had problems acclimatizing in Cuzco and that's only at 11,200 ft.

But Bob, you do have me thinking about China -- we would love to visit the area around Lijiang. Perhaps we could combine India (Sikkim) with western China for a very "Tibetan" trip. We'll have at least 4 weeks to work with.

Kathie-- Thanks for the recommendation for Elgin Mt. Padim -- it looks great! I made a note of it, so I can include in our plans.

manisha_30 -- We definitely don't fall into the rough & tough category, but we are not high-end luxury travelers either. I guess we fall in the middle -- midrange accomdations (sometimes a bit higher in India). Would probably hire a car and driver which is what we did on our first trip to India.

We are most interested in seeing the Himalayas, not hiking them but getting some truly breathtaking views. We also love learning about the local people and Tibetan culture & Buddhist religion have a great appeal for me.

lcuy

Magster, rkkwan is Ray. Rhkkmk is Bob. Don't feel bad, common mistake!

Craig

I'm surprised no one has suggested Bhutan. While we will not be going there until October, my perception is that it is as safe as any Himalayan destination and the views would be truly fantastic. There are a couple of downsides of course, one is that you must travel with a guide and the other is the minimum daily expenditure. I will report on how it all works out.

Magster2005

Thanks, Craig -- I would love to hear about your trip when you return. Bhutan was very appealing to me initially, but I became concerned about the very issues you mentioned.

rkkwan -- Ray, I apologize!

(Icuy, thanks for letting me know!)

rkkwan

Lijiang is not Tibetan, but up the road, Zhongdian/Shangri-La is, even though it's still inside Yunnan Province. You get to see a lot of mountains and there are TIbetan monasteries, etc. Without having to deal with permits and such.

Magster2005

rkkwan -- Shangri-La looks marvelous, but unfortunately the altitude is going to be a problem again. What a shame.

julies

If you are thinking India, ytou definitely want to plan your trip for a time of the year when views are the best. I'm stil working on our trip report from our 6 week trip to India where we finished in northern Uttarkhand with the purpose of viewing the Himalayas (we did). But, when we were there in the end of March there was the issue that views are best in the mornings due to the dust and smog at this time of the year. I understand viewing possibilities are much better right at the end of the rainy season.

Magster2005

Thanks, julies (love your report BTW -- will be looking forward to reading more). Uttarkhand is another possibility. I want to concentrate on just two main areas for this trip -- Sikkim and somewherelse.

I am thinking of going in November (or maybe late Oct.). I want to be sure to build in plenty of time so we can get some good viewing.

JODYxBUFFY

Perhaps the most breath-taking vista of the Himalayas that I had seen was from the Pang La Pass in Tibet. From this viewpoint, 4 of the 10 highest mountains in the world (Everest, Makalu, Lhotse, Chomolungma, and Cho Oyu)are arrayed majestically in front of you. I took some snapshots of the Pang La Pass, which can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbviMfDr-II&feature=fvsr

Magster2005

Your youtube is amazing -- thanks so much! I am concerned about the elevation (for my husband), but your pictures are incredible.

rkkwan

Yes, good views from the Pang-La Pass. It's at about 5190m/17,000ft, and is on the route from Shigatse to the Everest base camp. No need to get off vehicle to get a good view, though. On my trip there, Everest was covered by clouds, but the other peaks were clear.

Kathie

The good news is that you can get spectacular views without going to that altitude.