While my husband jets around India speaking at conferences, my 8-year-old son and I need to decide what to do with our 5 or 6 days. We are saving Agra for the last day when my husband is done with his speaking tour. We fly in and out of Dehli, so that will be our launching-off point.

1.) I understand that it will be unbearably hot in a most places, so the company my husband works with has recommended heading down to Goa. I don't want "just another beach vacation" - will it still be a cultural departure for us (we're American)?
2.) Or they asked if we would want go to Jaipur-Jodphur-Jaiselmer - is it too hot/rainy for camel trekking? Or too dangerous to attempt with just a blonde woman and little boy on their own?
3.) Finally, because I am Buddhist, I am considering heading up to Dharamsala and the Himlayan region. Will it be over-crowded or high-priced because of high-season? will it be too boring for a kid? Is it too close to the Kasmir region

Is TRAIN, BUS or AIRPLANE the best way to go for a woman and child by ourselves?

Any and all words of wisdom are appreciated.

A quick reply as I am rushed.
You have not written exactly when you will be traveling in India, thus please write back.
Delhi, Agra Jaipur area are already experiencing high temperatures such as between 99-104-degrees.This sort of weather remains all through May and June. July Aug, will bring torrential rains.
Dharamsala will be colder these days.
Airplanes are most comfortable. Trains affordable if you can travel in air-conditioned compartments. Forget all buses.
Indian people love kids, so your 8-year-old will be fine. Most kids in large cities and towns will enjoy talking in English too.
Good luck

Sorry, I just noticed you have written June inthe title, I had missed it earlier.
Thus, it is the hottest time of year!

I wouldn't choose Goa...it will not only be hot, but if the monsoon its while you're there, you'll have torrential rain, along with flooding and power outages. At least it wouldn't be a typical beach vacation.

If it was me with a child, I would do one of these two trips:

1) Take the train up north from Delhi, then the toy train to Shimla. It is a resort type place, so will be more expensive and crowded in June, but at least it will be cooler and there are things to do - like horseback riding, swimming and easy hikes. I'm not sure how far it is to Dharamsala from there, but be aware that the roads are kind of scary if you plan to take a bus or drive.


2) hire a driver and take a road trip towards Jaipur, and maybe one other spot, then end up in Agra for a day or two . Have your husband take the Shabadhti (?) express train and meet you in Agra for a last day of exploring. Keep in mind that the Taj mahal is closed on Fridays.

I don't think anywhere will be boring for an 8 yr old. India is many things, but boring is not one of them!

I'm also going to be in India in June, so it is possible to survive it. Just don't plan too much. You'll be much happier with lots of pool/ nap times out of the humidity, and allow for trains and traffic to be totally unreliable!

June is generally a very hot month most everywhere in India, however by mid June in Delhi and the rest of India the monsoon will have started so you may have a combination of heat and then lots of rain. Generally the monsoon breaks around mid-June, although it can arrive earlier or later in any given year, and some years are wetter or drier than others. See weathebase.com for temps and rainfall info and check other websites. While I travel to India frequently and do not take Malaria meds, given the time of year of your trip, you may want to consider whether this would be a good idea for you or your child (different Malaria meds may be indicated for a child). The Scottish National Health Service has very useful travel health website http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/desti...s/worldmap.htm.

I am surprised that a recommendation of Goa was made, as it will be having the brunt of its monsoon rainfall in June. Goa is on the south west coast and is one of the first places to have the monsoon rains. See weatherbase.com (check under “Panaji”) and other websites to get an idea of weather and the rather torrential amount of rainfall which Goa gets in June. I don’t think I would recommend Goa in June unless you are OK with not actually sitting on the beach. I think Goa is very interesting as it is a mix of Indian and Portuguese culture (and great food) but don’t really think June is an ideal month to go there. (January is.) There is of course the view that seeing the monsoon is an experience in itself and everything is very fresh and green, both of which are true, but if you wanted beach or pool time, and with a small child who may get bored with 5 solid days of rain, this may not be such a great idea.

Rajasthan would be quite hot, and depending on when your visit would take place, would have a bit of rain (but nothing near the torrents you will get other places). Again, see weather websites to get an idea of temps and whether you would be comfortable with them. A place like Jodhpur may be more interesting than Jaipur to your child, as the big fort that looms over the town is much more present and evident than in Jaipur, where the main fort is quite a bit out of town. Udaipur may be interesting to a child as well as there is the big lake and you could take boat rides on it. It is also the smallest of the golden triangle towns and is more walkable (although large parts of Jodphur’s old town is quite walkable too.) You can do a day camel trek from Jodhpur rather than trying to go overnight which may be too much for a child (I believe these are possible from Jaipur as well, and probably from Udaipur.) You probably want to consider a hotel with a pool and include a good bit of rest time to recover from the heat. I personally don’t think there are any safety issues with traveling in this area (or India generally). I would say that a Caucasian child is much more of a rarity in India than a Caucasian adult, and that your child may be the centre of attention wherever you go, so you should be prepared for this (as should your child).

Dharamsala would be a good choice, IMO, as temps are a bit cooler than Delhi and Rajasthan, but in June it will be warm to hot, just not as hot as the plains. You will have some rain too. It is not the high season, in fact is about the lowest season here and elsewhere in India; and in any event Dharamsala is not really on the regular path of most tourists to India. You wont’ find a large number of international-standard hotels in the area, which is an indication of its relative lack of tourists; lots of hostels and home stays. I can’t say whether an 8 year old would be bored here or elsewhere in India, but I think you would find other children visiting there too, and there is music and dance on offer. It is not really that close to Kashmir, and in any event you would not be allowed near any border areas.

I would also recommend Ladkah in north India, which again will be cooler and because of the Himalaya does not have the monsoon issues. It is Tibetan Buddhist (which I assume you are as well, given your interest in Dharamsala). Also relatively untouristsed. I just don’t know if an 8-year old would be bored. Without knowing his interests, its hard to say. If you were on your own, I would say any of these places would be interesting, but I am not quite sure what an 8-year old can do (trekking and walking are two big activities in Ladahk for example, but I am not sure that an 8 year old can do that. Some people also have altitude issues here, do some research.) It is also near Kashmir, but you would not at all be near affected areas, as you don’t need to go, and would not be allowed near, the border areas.

There are hill stations like Simla and Darjeeling which are cooler as well, but in June they will be having about the same rain as Delhi, so they may not be quite so attractive. But certainly cooler.

If you did want a beach vacation, I would suggest the <i>east</i> coast of India, south of Chennai. That coast does not have the summer monsoon and will offer better beach weather in June. This area is also relatively untouristed, but see http://www.neemranahotels.com for a few interesting-looking hotels in the area. Or see http://sawdays.co.uk/, click on the book for India. You can also buy the book, <i>Special Places to Stay India</i>, but the website will give you a very long list of hotels to start with.

My main suggestion is that with 5-6 days you do not go to more than 2 places. Otherwise it is too much moving around, IMO. And in the heat and/or rain you will want to (or may be forced to) move more slowly.

I would not recommend Agra as a day trip, as you would miss sunrise and sunset, when the monument is really at its loveliest. If you can, spend at least one night there. If your husband can only join you for a day, there is no reason why you could not be there for a longer period.

Air travel for longer distances is the way to go, otherwise a train is fine. Buses can be useful on routes which a train does not cover, or you can hire a car and driver relatively inexpensively as well. In order of my personal preference of airlines I say Kingfisher then Jet Airlines followed by Indian Air, but sometimes Indian Air is the only airline going someplace so then you just have to bite the bullet…I would not drive on virtually any Indian highway at night (esp the Delhi to Agra road), and would not spend more than 4-5 hours at most in a car on any day (you may want slightly less with a small child, or take more breaks).

I would think that there are websites or even guidebooks on what to do with children in India, you might search for those. I would suggest <i>avoiding</i> places like zoos, which can be depressing in India. Also, while there are numerous wildlife parks, I am not sure than an 8-year old would really enjoy riding for 3-4 hours twice a day in an open jeep, especially in the heat. I also don’t know if the parks would accept a child that young in a jeep.

Hi

Goa and Jaipur should definitely be out, in that weather. Simla or Dharamshala are your best bet. Road trip to Simla is shorter and better. Rainy season is great in north India except you can't get out much. Agra if planned properly, should certainly not to be missed.