The natural beauty of North India is breath-taking. There is nothing I have seen so spectacular as a drive/ride through the Rhotang Pass and the Himachal Pradesh region. The North of India (specifically the Himalaya region) has proved to be far more costly than our trip in the South of India. I would recommend a budget of $50-$60 NZ for a couple wanting to travel here as accommodation, food, hiring a moto, getting around and touristy things are generally double what we were paying in the South of India. Again this is another super long blog but it is divided up by sub titles which should help you to guide your way through. Getting around: -Sleeper train- Rhys and I rode the non A/C sleeper train from Goa to Chandigarh. A total of 2300 kilometres taking 38 hours. If you want a comfortable journey then book the A/C sleeper well in advance. If you are a seasoned budget backpacker and can handle a bit of discomfort than definitely take the non-A/C sleeper. It is literally half the price costing us 2400 rupees for two tickets. The biggest difference that I noticed was how much more culture you experience in the non-A/C sleeper carriages. At every train stop locals fill the carriages selling food, drink and trinkets raising their voices to let everyone know what it is they are selling. The carriages are dark and dingy at night filled with sleepy resting bodies, babies crying or laughing and families chatting away throughout the night as passengers jump on and off at each stop. Rajasthan reached a high of 46 degrees Celsius making a few hours of our journey extremely hot and there was no cold water available but we were lucky enough to have an entire 6 bunk booth to ourselves for majority of the long journey. We filled our time with card games, reading and writing and of course watching the incredible scenery float by. Make sure to take a sheet to put over your bunk and use your valuables bag as a pillow covering it with your sheet. I also use a padlock on my bag just to be extra safe. Take a few packets of baby wipes and a roll of toilet paper with you. The toilets really aren’t bad but maybe that’s because I have been travelling a while and I have seen much worse. There are plenty of delicious vegan meals and snacks available on board but it’s always a good idea to take some on with you. -Local Bus- Travelling by local bus in India is always a good way to save money however be prepared to give up any comfort when boarding a local bus. At the best of times the driving is horrendous which makes for a pretty scary drive through Himachal Pradesh/Himalayas when trucks are over taking buses on blind corners with a sudden drop cutting off one side of the road as you incline and increase altitude. Also the local buses can get really packed and you may end up standing squashed between 10 or so people. It is possible to book private owned buses which usually have more comfortable seats and each seat is allocated with your ticket purchase for a hundred or so rupees more which if you are taking a longer journey then I definitely recommend. It depends on how uncomfortable you are willing to be to save a few rupees. -Mini Van (Manali to Leh)- The minivan ride took 18 hours from Manali to Leh and cost a total of 3000 rupees each purchased in Manali however in Leh you will find tickets for 2000 rupees each. Pick up at 1:30am before watching the sunrise at a certain spot before the Rhotang Pass opens for the day. Admittedly it is extremely difficult to sleep on the long bumpy drive but the views and experience of driving amongst the Himalayan mountains is all worth it. There were at least 6 toilet stops and 2 stops for food along the way. In our van were 12 other backpackers all excited by the journey drifting in and out of restless sleep – we were all exhausted and glad to have finally reached Leh willing to pay whatever it was to be taken to a hot shower and comfortable bed. The man driving us has been doing this run for 15 years and had a lot of experience driving on the dangerous mountain roads. The drive was seat gripping at times but for the most part I felt safe. The return journey from Leh was dreamy scenery wise as we drove through the night leaving at 7pm. Thousands of stars sprinkled over the sky and the moon glowed bright in a perfect crescent leaving only black shade of mountain shapes to be seen. It was impossible to get any rest as the roads are rough and rugged and we were awake for over 36 hours. It was a hard and tiring journey both ways but I am so glad to say that I have done it witnessing the most stunning views I have ever laid eyes on. Arrival was the following day at 1:30pm. Rhys paragliding in Manali. Where to stay: We have reached Himchal Pradesh in the peak season April – June. -Shimla- In Shimla (Himchal Pradesh capital) a very busy , bustling town with a spectacular view we searched most places around Mall Road area for accommodation but the best deal was to stay at the YMCA. It is the cheapest place in town offering cosy double rooms with clean shared bathroom for 1000 rupees per night including breakfast for two and the most spectacular view. The staff are also very accommodating and helpful when you have questions about where to head to next. A visit to the Jakhoo temple or Monkey temple is definitely worth the hard flight of stairs but make sure to remove any glasses, hats or loose items as the monkeys will steal them. Take a walking stick to help with the walk and fend off any cheeky critters. Take some fruit to share as there are hundreds and hundreds of monkeys and an incredibly large statue of Hanuman the Hindu monkey god which is worth seeing all on it’s own. -Kullu- We spent two nights with Mr Kundan and his wife Kala a vegetarian family in Kais, Kullu. This has been one of the highlights of my entire journey through India. Mr Kundan and Kala have a family of 4 children, 1 lovely boy and 3 beautiful girls and they own a small vegetable farm growing crops of tomatoes, garlic, rice, wheat to name a few. The hospitality here was beyond what we had bargained for and we paid $15 NZ per night to stay with them via Air BnB app not including all of the delicious vegan friendly food that was cooked for us to enjoy. For breakfast, lunch and dinner for two days they asked for only 250 rupees but as they are a big family with little money we ended up giving them 500 rupees which is easily what we would have paid for one day of eating at restaurants let alone 2 days of delicious meals - not to mention the countless cups of tea that were offered and accepted. All of the food is made with love and vegetables grown on the farm. From the house you can have a breath-taking view of other small mountain villages surrounding the valley as well as the fresh green crops of neighbouring farms. Kais is so completely full of life! We spent most of our time getting to know the family, teaching each other English and Hindi (Mr Kundan and Kala speak very little English), playing traditional board games, enjoying the lively mountain scenery and being shown about the small village and the Tibetan Buddhist Monastery by the children. We were their first western guests and they were so pleased and excited to have us. This is a very real Indian Himalaya experience and I highly recommend staying with this wonderful family on your trip North of India. https://www.airbnb.co.in/rooms/13132282?s=tVcYbZl9 (I note that their price on Air BnB now includes food and has increased to $18 NZ.) -Manali- Backpackers and travellers should jump in a rickshaw and head straight to old town Manali where you will find guesthouses ranging from 500 – 1200++ rupees per night, great restaurants offering delicious meals and many roadside shops offering snuggly warm clothing and many beautiful Indian, Nepalese and Tibetan trinkets. You will be extremely lucky to get your hands on a room at 500 rupees in the high season and should expect to pay closer to 1200 rupees per night for a double private room. Old town Manali is bustling with foot traffic of other backpackers and is the hub of excitement and ease for all travellers. You will be surrounded by offices booking travel elsewhere in the country as well as touristy events such as paragliding, rafting and trekking – my only tip would be to ask around about prices and never take the first price offered. Make sure you ask about everything included in the deal you are purchasing and write it all down or even better ask your booking agent to. Hippies in couples or singles will love the vibe in old town Manali however note that it is by far the most expensive town in Himachal Pradesh. -Leh Laddakh- Jammu and Kashmir is marked as a ‘high risk’ area to travel on the NZ safe travel website and so most insurance companies will not cover you in this area – something to keep in mind when wanting to visit the beautiful desert mountains in the far North of the Himalayas. After conversation with the locals in Manali we were told to head to Changspa road where there are many guesthouses ranging from 600-2000 rupees per night. We actually booked a place before arriving (which we never do) and upon arrival I wished we hadn’t – a walk up Changspa road will prove easy to find accommodation. After checking out of our booked accommodation we stayed at the Krishna Yoga and Meditation centre for 600 rupees per night. The room and bathroom were clean, warm and comfortable. Leh attracts tourists who love to go trekking at high and this is the main attraction in this town. Changspa road is laid out with booking and hire agents offering all sorts of trekking and mountaineering opportunities from 3-15++ days depending on your level of experience and fitness – due to many difficulties we weren’t able to do a trek but decided that we preferred to hire a Royal Enfield and cruise around the scenic town checking out the incredible views and archaeological sites. Please research ‘Altitude Sickness’ if a visit to Leh is beckoning you. -Rishikesh- The most popular tourist spot in all of India. An ashram, yoga and meditation holy town located at the very start of the Ganga river. The Luxmanjula bridge will take you across the Ganga to the more popular and tourist friendly side of Rishikesh where you will find guesthouses and ashrams to stay at starting from around 200 rupees per night. The street of Luxmanjula is decorated either side with yoga classes, aryuvedic medicines and other emotional therapy type treatments as well as touristy clothing and trinket stores. I attended one painful but incredible emotional blockage healing treatment which left me feeling uplifted and lighter, I wish I could have stuck around for more sessions. The food available in Rishikesh has been the most vegan friendly that we have come across especially the German Pumpernickel Bakery and Little Buddha Cafe. You can walk along the streets and be emerged in hundreds of people praying and performing daily rituals outside and inside ashrams as well as in the Ganges. Sadhus are prevalent and roam the streets of Rishikesh more so than I have seen anywhere else. Beware the red monkeys when walking with fruit in hand as I was attacked by one who wanted my bag of bananas – red monkeys are far more evil than the black faced monkeys who you can sit beside and share bananas, just don’t touch them! At 5000 m altitude, driving from Manali to Leh. Shey Palace, Leh Laddakh surrounded by desert mountains at 3300m altitude. A cheeky monkey in Rishikesh. Where to eat:
Eating out as a vegan in India is so simple. India has got to be the #1 country at catering to vegetarian and vegan customers. Most restaurants will have a large vegetarian menu but I prefer to eat at ‘pure vegetarian’ or ‘all vegetarian’ restaurants which are very easy to come across. As per my blog about backpacking in South India the only things to look out for are – Curd, Milk or Cream, Butter/Ghee, Eggs. Even when eating at a pure vegetarian restaurant (eggs are never served in pure veg food) make sure to ask for no milk or butter even if they are not stated in the dishes ingredients and most people will understand and happily cater to your wants and needs. Not everyone understands the word ‘vegan’ but when you head to more touristy restaurants and areas it is far more common that people understand. -Recommendations for tasty Indian vegan dishes- Puri Bhaji, Pav Bhaji, Masala Dosa, Gobi Manchurian, Aloo Gobi, Vada sambar, Idli, Veg/Navratan Korma, Channa Masala, Veg Uttapam, Veg Kurkeij (Shimla only), Tomato soup, Aloo Paratha. Just remember to request that the dish contains no unwanted ingredients! Bargaining: Bargaining when shopping is a huge part of Indian culture. Occasionally stores will have a ‘no bargaining’ policy in tourist areas and as a visitor you should respect this – the prices will usually be very fair in these stores anyway. The only other time not to bargain is with fruit and food stall holders. Other than this bargaining for clothing and trinkets can be tricky or intimidating for someone who is not used to this way of shopping. I always start by asking how much they are selling an item for and if I think it’s over the top I’ll try by going to half of the price they have said. Usually you will settle on about 60-80% of the original quoted price but don’t be afraid to walk away and try other stores for the same item. Sometimes you’ll be called back and offered the price you quoted but not always. Overall a trip to the North of India is perfect for those interested in trekking, beautiful lush mountain scenery, shopping for Tibetan and Nepalese trinkets, and awesome motorbike adventures.
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