I'm considering going to India next year, for about 2 1/2 weeks. I want to spend some time in the cities and see the Taj Mahal and other main sights, but I'd like to get off the beaten path a little. Nepal has to be a part of the trip. Can anyone suggest an itinerary? Also, I'll be going without my husband on this one, so I may consider a tour, as long as the groups aren't too big. (Maybe an all womens group?) Any info would be appreciated

We just returned from India and can offer advice. Please read State Dept. Advisory re Nepal; a bloody insurgency has been going on there for some time.

Several tour companies in USA and Canada offer just the packages you want. They take care of all the details -- and India has many hurdles. Not for the faint-of-heart, the picky, or the pampered.

Backpackers will dispute this, but it's no place for first-timers who want to wing it. Frustrating details, reservations a must, connections galore need an experienced guide.

We can send you our free report on our trip, but we need an email address. We are in our 70s, world-travelers, and pull no punches. By all means...go!

I fully agree with USNR that Nepal is currently to be avoided. Why do you not stick to India, especially if it's your first trip to the country. Also, take into consideration that climate wise it is rather difficult to combine (the main places of India in) Rajastan with Nepal. When it's OK in Nepal it's not in Raj, and vice versa. I would not combine Himalaya and the core of India.
To my feeling the core of India for a first visitor can be the triangle Delhi/Jaipur/Agra with some additions here or there, according to your time availability, and then fly with a domestic airline to another part of the country. This could to my feeling, for instance, be
- Varanasi/ex Benares, where you basically go for the atmosphere around the Ganges. It is absolutely magic.
- Kerala, around Kochi/ex Cochin, where you have 'India soft': lush nature, seaside cities, a relaxed and very interesting cruise on the backwaters.
- Udaipur, which can be reached by car from the Triangle, or by flight out of Jaipur or Jodhpur (not sure of the last, so go and Google Jet Airways to find out).
It's a vast country. By car you make an average of 30kmph, except on Delhi-Jaipur which is a nice big road. So do not overestimate the distances you can cover on a day, unless you want to punish yourself.

When are you travelling? Do you have fixed or flexible dates?

we just returned from a 2 and 1/2 week trip to india and the maldives. we had a terrific time and went through an absolutely fabulous travel agent in india whose recommendations and arrangements were flawless and very detail oriented.

Hello, I travelled to India in 1990 so I can't speak for how it has changed now but I do know that back when I travelled it wasn't very comfortable for a woman to be travelling on her own. Even the fact that I was travelling with my boyfriend met with some unpleasant comments. So maybe a tour would be the best way to go.
In addition 2 1/2 weeks is not very long to spend in India, particularly when you add into that delayed trains etc. So why not limit your travel to one area, say northern India - Delhi, Rajasthan (Jaisalmer, Jaipur and Jodphur) and Agra?
It is a real shame that Nepal is so dangerous at the moment because it is truly beautiful and generally the people are amazing and friendly

Snapple - are you going to post a trip report? Or at least share the name of your travel agent, where you stayed and highlights of your trip.

I went to India a few years back as part of a small tour (Kuoni, a british tour operator) and thought it was great, but thought it would be very tough doing it on your own. A friend of mine who has spent his life back packing on his holiday and just returned from India, his words - "the hardest place to back pack in my life".

He had no problem in Nepal, but the Britisg Foreign Office is advising caution.

craig -- i am in the process of our trip report. we went to new delhi, trivandrum, and the maldives. i will post soon. the travel agent we used was "Travel with Us" based out of New Delhi. The name of our agent is Ritu. E-mail is [email protected] .

if you have any question, please feel free to email me at [email protected]

Thanks everyone for the info and opinions. USNR, I would be interested in receiving your trip info, my address is [email protected]
I am aware of the situation in Nepal, I guess I was hoping it would settle down by next fall....
I can only go for 2 1/2 weeks because of work constraints, and since I'm going w/o my husband, I need to hold onto vacation time for the 2 of us to do something....

Off the beaten track with some similarities with nepal - I can suggest Ladakh. Leh is open to tourists for only 3-4 months a year. Cram's comment re these not being the right months for Rajasthan is dead on - but you could potentially do a truncated tour of Delhi-Agra-Jaipur so that the weather does not completely sap you and then do Leh and finally either Goa or Kerala. An Indian Airlines or Jet Airways pass would make your air routing very cost efficient - if you do decide to include Leh then Indian Airlines as I do not think Jet flies the sector. Leh is truly a magical place.

the best would be specify the time as india has varied options in differnet season...., nepal would be like taking a risk, taj mahal is must see along with jaipur, varanasi, khajuraho, ranthambore, jodhpur, sariska,char dham, and udaipur, also u can see kerala and south india only if you specify the time the best possible can be suggested...

rgds

prabhu

Prabhu's suggestions are correct (apart from Ranthambore about which I have already been commenting several times rather sceptically on this board), but to do all that you need two months, not two weeks. I'd stick to the basics. I gave you my opinion of what those are earlier on this thread.