India: A dream trip meets reality for me
Jan 29th, 2015, 10:00 AM
#61
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Regarding dining with guides and / or drivers, my experience has been different. I usually invite them for meals and enjoy breaking bread with them. It's a good way for me to learn more about them and the places in which they live, and gets them outside of the "zone" that they are in. I've bonded with several of them over the years of travel and continue to keep in touch with some of them.
Jan 29th, 2015, 03:46 PM
#62
when we were in China, our first guide in Beijing joined us and we loved talking with him But, after that, no matter if we requested it, they joined the driver for lunch after ordering our food ( which was ridiculous in quantity) We had booked through a local tour operator (China Highlights) so don't know if that made a difference. Just wondering if India was similar.
Jan 30th, 2015, 06:30 AM
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The Amber Fort. We rode the elephant. My husband has back problems and walks very slowly. When we got to the fort we were shown the ELEVATOR!!. No walking stairs for us. Who knew there was a hidden elevator?? India is amazing.
Jan 31st, 2015, 04:33 AM
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<i>Kumaon Area Trekking with Itmenaan Estates</i>
The best part of the trip! We took the train from Delhi to Kathgodam and in a few hours we had arrived to a rainy station far from the city hassle. The train getting there was fine, we had first class chair cars and they served tea and a meal that was tasty. A driver awaited us at the Kathgodam station and drove us the additional four or so hours to the Kumaon area.
We had received excellent pre-trip info on this portion about what to bring and what to expect. One of the warnings was to bring motion sickness meds if you are prone to them because the roads are winding. We are not remotely prone to motion sickness but both of us felt a little "off" by the time we had wended our way around about the curvy, mountainous roads. Plus it was foggy (just about our last day of fog). We had the same slightly uneasy feeling when we drove back to Kathgodam. For all the world it felt like slight altitude sickness but we weren't actually at such a high altitude so it must have been slight motion sickness.
It was clear as we drove that this area of the country nearest Kathgodam is a "resort" area. The place we stopped for lunch, a hotel, had a big board outlining family activities for people and their kids on vacation. But eventually we even got out of that area of the country into a truly rural place of spectacular beauty.
We arrived at our first guesthouse and were met by porters with umbrellas and walking sticks for us to use on the path down and who carried our luggage down to the guesthouse. We were greeted with hot tea (it was still drizzly and cold) and warm washclothes to freshen up and shown our room (one of only three). The idea of this place is a luxurious rural retreat and it lived up to this billing. The other idea is that there's a set trekking plan where you trek from guesthouse to guesthouse (three in all) and enjoy the surrounding countryside. Our plan had to deviate from this because about two or three weeks before our arrival there had been the biggest snowfall in about 40 years (almost entirely melted by the time we arrived) and it made one of the guest houses unusable and washed out some areas of paths as it melted. The area had been without electricity for the last 20 days. The company had almost cancelled our visit because of these.
But they adapted and so did we. The power came back on sporadically. This experience could be described as "glamping" so we hadn't really expected to have all the creature comforts but being without electricity made for some cold, cold rooms. When the power was on, though, we had space heaters and even when those weren't on we were given hot water bottles to take to bed with us. But regular electricity was needed in order to have a hot shower (and given how cold it was a cold shower was too awful to consider--birdbaths only except one night when the power had been on all night). Although days were rather warm (heck even hot once we really got hiking), the nights were freezing. If you visit any other time of year, though, when being cold isn't a problem, I think you would never want to leave. The guest cabins are wonderful. The main one is beautiful stonework with a huge bathroom and skylight. The other one was a bit more basic but still charming. I think the third one is even more basic but I didn't experience it. Also they are expanding to have a separate dining and lounge area and a few more rooms in the main guesthouse.
The rhythm of our days was to awaken and have breakfast, then trek, have a picnic lunch along the way, and arrive in the mid afternoon at the place where we would stay the night. We then had leisure time to relax, have tea and snacks, etc. When dark fell they built a campfire and offered wine. Then we ate dinner and relaxed under a beautiful sky. Sometimes there were stops at local temples.
The fog cleared by the afternoon of our first day so we began the hiking the next morning. It's all adjusted to what you are capable of--the other guests were a family with young girls so they generally did not hike with us as the girls couldn't hike for the length or difficulty that was set for our program. Not that we are world class hikers--we were put to shame when our guide basically walked straight up a mountain, carrying all our water in his backpack and barely broke a sweat while we panted in his dust wondering why they hadn't used switchbacks, oh, because there aren't any. People here just gallop straight up mountainsides. We were constantly out-hiked by locals carrying heavy loads up and down mountains with the same pace and ease of a stroll around town.
The hiking was sensational. The views were incredible. Many of them can't even be captured by [novice] photography. We had a long portion where we had an incredible panorama of beautiful snowy Himalayas in the distance. The area is close to both Nepal and Tibet. And after sunset we had a star-filled sky and were lucky enough to have a full moon that made for one of my favorite memories as noted above.
The people here were a little shy but so friendly. They don't see tons of tourists; they see enough but it isn't a tourist area for the most part, no shops, no touts, just people living their lives. As most of you know the traditional greeting in India is to press ones hands together and say "Namaste" or "Namaskar." While no one initiated this greeting to us as we walked, whenever we greeted those we met we did it and were met with huge smiles and a return greeting. But it felt like a tricky balance because usually the people we saw were engaged in some kind of work like gathering branches to feed to livestock, carrying heavy things, digging, etc. So it felt disruptive to engage a greeting that required them to stop what they were doing in order to press their hands together. Especially knowing how awkward it was for us just to put away a camera or something so our hands were free to do it--how much more annoying would it be for someone engaged in actual work? Apparently not at all, or not so they showed it; really every time we greeted someone they seemed genuinely pleased to return it. So we eventually stopped feeling self-conscious about interrupting their work. Kids around this area were, in the manner of children most everywhere, adorably friendly. They frequently called out to us in English and waved and then shouted whatever other English they knew.
The experience in Kumaon was a mix of hiking and culture. One of the men who serves as a guide is a respected older local who led us to his village and his home, where he has lived all his life since childhood, and now shares with his brother their families. We were offered to share tea and relax on their patio. No one spoke English except the Itmenaan manager, a man named Partha, but he interpreted for us so we could have a bit of conversation. The kids here are the ones posing with the baskets on their heads in my pics--they were really cute about it and came up and said "hello" and then grabbed the baskets to pose and show off a little. I asked them if I could take their photo and the little girl in the middle got shy and hid a bit until the adults and her brother teased her into coming back out. Then I showed them their pic. Usually in my experience with kids everywhere this initiates an ongoing "pose and show" situation but the kids then just laughed and ran away. I wish I could have printed pics for the folks we photographed. Partha said a photographer tourist had done that once when he visited using a portable printer and people loved it.
Partha was an excellent manager. His English was superlative. He is not local to the area but moved here to manage the properties. It was a pleasure to talk to him about the area, the people, and most of all, the love for rural lifestyle that we shared. We ended up engaging in some long conversations which were wonderful.
Finally, I will add that this place spoiled us to death with food. It was the best food I have ever eaten on a trip anywhere. Lunches and dinners were a variety of dishes and different every day that we were there. Breakfasts were fruit/curd/muesli but always included a local bread like parnath or some others I had never had before. I tried so many wonderful foods I had never had before. And there was waay too much of it at every meal.
Happy travels, everyone. I had no intention of getting this detailed in my report. Usually I just do highlights so thanks again for all the encouragement.
The best part of the trip! We took the train from Delhi to Kathgodam and in a few hours we had arrived to a rainy station far from the city hassle. The train getting there was fine, we had first class chair cars and they served tea and a meal that was tasty. A driver awaited us at the Kathgodam station and drove us the additional four or so hours to the Kumaon area.
We had received excellent pre-trip info on this portion about what to bring and what to expect. One of the warnings was to bring motion sickness meds if you are prone to them because the roads are winding. We are not remotely prone to motion sickness but both of us felt a little "off" by the time we had wended our way around about the curvy, mountainous roads. Plus it was foggy (just about our last day of fog). We had the same slightly uneasy feeling when we drove back to Kathgodam. For all the world it felt like slight altitude sickness but we weren't actually at such a high altitude so it must have been slight motion sickness.
It was clear as we drove that this area of the country nearest Kathgodam is a "resort" area. The place we stopped for lunch, a hotel, had a big board outlining family activities for people and their kids on vacation. But eventually we even got out of that area of the country into a truly rural place of spectacular beauty.
We arrived at our first guesthouse and were met by porters with umbrellas and walking sticks for us to use on the path down and who carried our luggage down to the guesthouse. We were greeted with hot tea (it was still drizzly and cold) and warm washclothes to freshen up and shown our room (one of only three). The idea of this place is a luxurious rural retreat and it lived up to this billing. The other idea is that there's a set trekking plan where you trek from guesthouse to guesthouse (three in all) and enjoy the surrounding countryside. Our plan had to deviate from this because about two or three weeks before our arrival there had been the biggest snowfall in about 40 years (almost entirely melted by the time we arrived) and it made one of the guest houses unusable and washed out some areas of paths as it melted. The area had been without electricity for the last 20 days. The company had almost cancelled our visit because of these.
But they adapted and so did we. The power came back on sporadically. This experience could be described as "glamping" so we hadn't really expected to have all the creature comforts but being without electricity made for some cold, cold rooms. When the power was on, though, we had space heaters and even when those weren't on we were given hot water bottles to take to bed with us. But regular electricity was needed in order to have a hot shower (and given how cold it was a cold shower was too awful to consider--birdbaths only except one night when the power had been on all night). Although days were rather warm (heck even hot once we really got hiking), the nights were freezing. If you visit any other time of year, though, when being cold isn't a problem, I think you would never want to leave. The guest cabins are wonderful. The main one is beautiful stonework with a huge bathroom and skylight. The other one was a bit more basic but still charming. I think the third one is even more basic but I didn't experience it. Also they are expanding to have a separate dining and lounge area and a few more rooms in the main guesthouse.
The rhythm of our days was to awaken and have breakfast, then trek, have a picnic lunch along the way, and arrive in the mid afternoon at the place where we would stay the night. We then had leisure time to relax, have tea and snacks, etc. When dark fell they built a campfire and offered wine. Then we ate dinner and relaxed under a beautiful sky. Sometimes there were stops at local temples.
The fog cleared by the afternoon of our first day so we began the hiking the next morning. It's all adjusted to what you are capable of--the other guests were a family with young girls so they generally did not hike with us as the girls couldn't hike for the length or difficulty that was set for our program. Not that we are world class hikers--we were put to shame when our guide basically walked straight up a mountain, carrying all our water in his backpack and barely broke a sweat while we panted in his dust wondering why they hadn't used switchbacks, oh, because there aren't any. People here just gallop straight up mountainsides. We were constantly out-hiked by locals carrying heavy loads up and down mountains with the same pace and ease of a stroll around town.
The hiking was sensational. The views were incredible. Many of them can't even be captured by [novice] photography. We had a long portion where we had an incredible panorama of beautiful snowy Himalayas in the distance. The area is close to both Nepal and Tibet. And after sunset we had a star-filled sky and were lucky enough to have a full moon that made for one of my favorite memories as noted above.
The people here were a little shy but so friendly. They don't see tons of tourists; they see enough but it isn't a tourist area for the most part, no shops, no touts, just people living their lives. As most of you know the traditional greeting in India is to press ones hands together and say "Namaste" or "Namaskar." While no one initiated this greeting to us as we walked, whenever we greeted those we met we did it and were met with huge smiles and a return greeting. But it felt like a tricky balance because usually the people we saw were engaged in some kind of work like gathering branches to feed to livestock, carrying heavy things, digging, etc. So it felt disruptive to engage a greeting that required them to stop what they were doing in order to press their hands together. Especially knowing how awkward it was for us just to put away a camera or something so our hands were free to do it--how much more annoying would it be for someone engaged in actual work? Apparently not at all, or not so they showed it; really every time we greeted someone they seemed genuinely pleased to return it. So we eventually stopped feeling self-conscious about interrupting their work. Kids around this area were, in the manner of children most everywhere, adorably friendly. They frequently called out to us in English and waved and then shouted whatever other English they knew.
The experience in Kumaon was a mix of hiking and culture. One of the men who serves as a guide is a respected older local who led us to his village and his home, where he has lived all his life since childhood, and now shares with his brother their families. We were offered to share tea and relax on their patio. No one spoke English except the Itmenaan manager, a man named Partha, but he interpreted for us so we could have a bit of conversation. The kids here are the ones posing with the baskets on their heads in my pics--they were really cute about it and came up and said "hello" and then grabbed the baskets to pose and show off a little. I asked them if I could take their photo and the little girl in the middle got shy and hid a bit until the adults and her brother teased her into coming back out. Then I showed them their pic. Usually in my experience with kids everywhere this initiates an ongoing "pose and show" situation but the kids then just laughed and ran away. I wish I could have printed pics for the folks we photographed. Partha said a photographer tourist had done that once when he visited using a portable printer and people loved it.
Partha was an excellent manager. His English was superlative. He is not local to the area but moved here to manage the properties. It was a pleasure to talk to him about the area, the people, and most of all, the love for rural lifestyle that we shared. We ended up engaging in some long conversations which were wonderful.
Finally, I will add that this place spoiled us to death with food. It was the best food I have ever eaten on a trip anywhere. Lunches and dinners were a variety of dishes and different every day that we were there. Breakfasts were fruit/curd/muesli but always included a local bread like parnath or some others I had never had before. I tried so many wonderful foods I had never had before. And there was waay too much of it at every meal.
Happy travels, everyone. I had no intention of getting this detailed in my report. Usually I just do highlights so thanks again for all the encouragement.
Jan 31st, 2015, 04:40 AM
#65
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tripplanner001: The Kumaon area was indeed reminiscent of the Sacred Valley in Peru (where we traveled last year) as well as the mountains in Ecuador. The people use the same terrace farming method in order to make use of as much areas as possible for agriculture. And it's gorgeous.
It's nice you've been able to convince drivers and guides to have meals with you and I agree it's often the best insight into local life. I tend to think annhig is right about us being another client to them while it being "new" for us that is a bit of a deterrent to this type of interaction. I know I generally want a break from people I have spent an entire day with if they aren't close friends or family. Plus I suspect some companies discourage guides from joining with clients at meals.
It's nice you've been able to convince drivers and guides to have meals with you and I agree it's often the best insight into local life. I tend to think annhig is right about us being another client to them while it being "new" for us that is a bit of a deterrent to this type of interaction. I know I generally want a break from people I have spent an entire day with if they aren't close friends or family. Plus I suspect some companies discourage guides from joining with clients at meals.
Jan 31st, 2015, 09:49 AM
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Nice hiking report Schlegal. I never thought I was susceptible to motion sickness until a whale watching excursion two years ago. It was awful.
Now I read reports like yours and wonder how such a road trip would affect me.
Now I read reports like yours and wonder how such a road trip would affect me.
Jan 31st, 2015, 11:40 AM
#67
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<<I never thought I was susceptible to motion sickness until a whale watching excursion two years ago. It was awful.>>
I think you must have been on the same trip as my sister-in-law.
She has a whale-watching story of such misery and woe and tells it with such humor that I cry laughing to hear it. Apparently everyone on the boat was seasick. And they saw no whales.
I think you must have been on the same trip as my sister-in-law.
She has a whale-watching story of such misery and woe and tells it with such humor that I cry laughing to hear it. Apparently everyone on the boat was seasick. And they saw no whales.
Jan 31st, 2015, 12:27 PM
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Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us. With Kumaon, you've let me in on a place in the world I never knew existed (it's been awhile since I pulled out a map), and what sounds like a very interesting one no less.
Feb 1st, 2015, 10:56 AM
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The hiking was strenuous. I say that as an avid hiker but not a backpacker if you are familiar in England with those terms. We hiked 4-plus hours a day and it was a lot of descending and climbing. Where we live we tend to hike up to peaks or ridgelines and then back down for our day hikes so going up and down many times during a hike was a change of pace and difficulty for us. But anyone reasonably fit could do it.
Feb 3rd, 2015, 04:22 AM
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Many Thanks for making travel tours in India, especially for North India places like Taj Mahal. North India have most beautiful, advantural & historical places. if you had not some important places then I would like to inform you these places as Jaipur, Udaipur, Khajuraho Temple and so many...
you can specially make north India tour through Indian rail as Maharaja Express.
you can specially make north India tour through Indian rail as Maharaja Express.
Feb 20th, 2015, 12:06 PM
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Thanks so much for your wonderful travel report. Not to get technical but the hikes you took - do you have any idea about the elevation gain on your up and down hikes? My husband and I love to hike and I'm trying to figure out if this would be appropriate or just too much. Was this for 3 or 4 days of hiking? Also, we are looking at exactly the same dates you went for the end of this year. Do you really think it's too cold in Kumaon? Thanks.
Feb 23rd, 2015, 05:33 AM
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It's really cold in December in Kumaon. As I mentioned, it isn't so much that it is cold outside (we experience cold weather where we live). It's that you are never quite warm--essentially like cold-weather camping for five days. Much as I loved it, I wouldn't go again in December, honestly. I am sure there are other places to trek in India in December that would be more clement.
Our treks didn't follow the set plan, but it is supposed to be four days of hiking. I am not sure about the elevation gains--Partha could answer that specifically if you email his gmail account: euphoria05121984
Our treks didn't follow the set plan, but it is supposed to be four days of hiking. I am not sure about the elevation gains--Partha could answer that specifically if you email his gmail account: euphoria05121984
Mar 13th, 2015, 12:35 PM
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I am enjoying your report, schlegal! I was in India (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Ranthambore, Udaipur) nearly 10 years ago. You are bringing back some memories! Some good, some not so good! India is definitely an interesting place!
