Rajasthan: April or May?
 

Having just discovered that my DH can take 2 weeks off in early April or May I am considering a trip to Rajasthan.

I am very eager but also hesitant since I fear it's too close to plan it independently and also I wonder if the heat will already be too much. Your views would be appreciated.

Also could someone give me the link to rhkkmk's recent report on India? Thanks in advance

Rajasthan is going to be hot, 35-40 Centigrade in April, and hotter still in May. Still plenty of time to organise an independent itinerary. Arrange it so that you do most sightseeing and travelling early and late. I can help you plan an itinerary if you give me the places you want to see. I prefer small palaces to the big hotels.

hi moxie,
http://www.fodors.com/forums_reg/thr...amp;dirtyBit=1
this is the link which i found.

thanks

Hi Moxie,Rajastan is a wonderful place to travel,but not during that time of the year.Sizzle!Sizzle!The midday temp is going to exceed well over 40*C(dont forget its a desert) and it not going to be one bit pleasant.It can be exhausting.You would'nt feel like getting out of the a/c hotel room or car to go sightseeing.
There are plenty of fodorites who have enough insight/ experience about Rajastan to help you thru your journey,but,I guess no one can make your stay pleasant that time of the year.Think about it.
The best time anywhere in North India would be betw Nov& Feb.

Thanks for confirming my fears about the temperature. I'll drop the planning for April. It looks like it'll be impossible for us to go before we retire since we can only go during school holidays :(

i must disagree. absolutely you should go! i went to rajasthan in april 2005, and yes it was hot, but not unbearably so (90-95 degrees). especially if you are on a tour, most of your time will be spent in the airconditioning anyway, in the hotels and in the car/bus. and even if it is hot, it is worth it! i always say, if you don't go now, you may never go...

Farcore 12,my dear fodorite,you have no clue what the Indian summer in parts of North India is like.
With first hand knowledge & having worked in Delhi, regularly visiting places in Rajastan for over 20 yrs,I have still not come to terms with the heat that can bring a large city like Delhi to its knees in the peak of summer.
Now,yours may be an exceptional case, when you travelled last April.But trust me,my piece of advice to Moxie is very simple.When even local folks stay indoors to beat the sun & every little street dog is scurrying for cover,why on earth would you advice someone to brave the mad heat to 'enjoy'Rajastan?
Here is an excerpt from the Govt of India website called 'Vigyan Prasar'a science portal.And it reads...

'Scientists Warn Extreme Climate Changes in the Near Future'

"Hottest summers are yet to come. Global warming is no more just an agenda for discussions in international meetings and seminars. It has become a reality happening just in front of us.

A study conducted by India Meteorological Department, Pune warns that the severe heat waves over the Indian subcontinent in the last summer could be a clear indication of global warming. The summer in 1998 was the worst in the past 50 years. It took a toll of nearly 1300 human lives. Orissa was the worst effected and about 650 people died over there. The heat wave took its toll in almost every state.

During the period March-June, when the normal temperatures are generally high over the Indian subcontinent any further rise in temperature become a mater of concerns to all. Spells of abnormally hot weather conditions are some times observed to move progressively from one region to another and are there fore called "heat wave" explain scientists.

Heat wave considered to be severe when maximum temperature remain 7 degree Celsius or more of its long term normal value for a station having normal maximum temperature more than 40 degree and 5 degree or more of its long term normal vale for a station having normal temperature less than 40 degree. This criterion has been laid down by the Meteorological Department for declaring heat wave.

In 1998 major parts of the country experienced severe heat wave condition. Even the southern interior Karnataka and some stations of Tamil Nadu were under the grip of heat wave in this period. Chennai recorded a maximum temperature of 44 degree on 24th May -this is the highest recorded temperature in this century. Rajastan experienced a maximum of 49 degree and Delhi recorded the second highest maximum temperature in the past 54 years on 28th May. All these indicate abnormal rise in temperature in this region during summer- a phenomenon that we have been discussing as global warming, because of the depletion of Ozone layer.

People residing at a palce for sufficiantly long time get more or less acclimatised to the normal weather conditions, thus the maximum temperature of North- West India was nearing 50 degree the death toll was relatively less. Where as in Orissa large number of causalities have been reported primarily because the people have less adaptability to such extreme climate conditions, say scientists.

The present century is the warmest in the last six hundred years. The three warmest years of 1990s are hotter than any other period since the middle ages. According to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), in which India is also a member, the global average surface temperature of 1995 was 0.4 degree above than 1961-1990 average.

Observations made from different parts of world show that the previous warmest year since 1861 was 1990 that had an anomaly of 0.36 degree.

The first five months of 1998 were the planets hottest on the record, according to the scientist of the USA based National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. The average global temperature from January through May was about 17.2 degree marginal hotter than the previous recorded set in 1997."

True, one can spend time in aircon hotels & cars but I'm sure that's not what Moxie plans to do.

Is April any worse than Aug?

I went to Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur in Aug 2005, against the advice of all and had a wonderful first trip to India. It was brutally hot, but we were in AC hotel and car, and I swallowed my pride and used an umbrella while touring monuments.

I planned the whole trip with about a month or two notice as well.

here's the link to that trip

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34708806

I read your trip report lcuy and it gave me the inital hope to start to plan a trip in April ;)

It's interesting, to me at least, that the French agencies offer tours year-round.

The weather sites scared me but I figured if the "palace on wheels" still ran in the shoulder season it would be ok...

Now I am looking at November and if that does not work I will brave the elements and go next April =)

Thanks for your help!

I agree with farcore - think you would be fine to travel in April. I will not travel in May to Rajasthan ( if do then need an afternoon siesta in Hotel) but April would be reasonably fine to travel

dear harsha, i went to egypt in late may/early june a few years ago. they were having a heat wave and it was about 110 degrees F the entire time. are you telling me india in may would be worse than that? and i had a wonderful time in egypt. don't regret going one bit.

a. As April/May is the only time you get for a tour, I would suggest April. May, relatively, would not only be hotter but you will also have to contend with dust storms that start blowing in the months of May & June before the advent of monsoons. Water bodies dry up & the smell of heat & perspiration is pervasive.
b. Talking of April, the tempratures would still be higher but then certain areas of Rajasthan would be cooler. Eg. Udaipur , Mount Abu, a hill station with it's not-to-miss delwara temples, Kumbhalgarh etc. offer excellant sight seeing & are a degree or two cooler due to water proximity & green vegetation.
c. IMO if you plan your holiday keeping these destinations in mind you should do fine. The arid & semi-arid areas of western Rajasthan can be avoided.
d. Again it is not a good idea to stay in off-beaten small hotels as power breakdowns are frequent affecting air-conditioning & referigeration.
e. You also have the option of visiting some of our virgin hill stations.
Very best for your plans!

Did the Triangle in April 2002 and it was just fine. A little heat builds character.

fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=27

or

waynehazle.com/india/

Really nice journal wayne! I'll look at the post now. How much time before the trip did you start planning? Wonderful to go solo too but as a female I don't think I'm up to that!

I think I gave myself about 5 weeks or so of prep. I did go with a company and not on my own.

I had several Indian friends tell me to not even think of winging it.
In every city that I was in, I had a driver and private guide. then here and there I got time on my own.

If you could go with a company and request female guides that would awesome.