Thorn Tree travel forum
Messages: 206,205 - Threads: 34,021
23-Jul-2008 17:49
Irene_Adler
last reply
08-Jan-2009 11:30
Irene_Adler
0 replies
8,218 views
Welcome to the Thorn Tree's branch for the Indian Subcontinent.
This branch covers: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh and Bhutan.
We hope you find plenty of useful information here. It is highly recommended that new users check out the Indian Subcontinent FAQ thread before posting a new thread as you may find many of the answers you seek there. It also contains helpful information about how to search the forum, advice for how to post your questions, and obsolete information was deleted as recently as July 2008! If you are a returning user or a subcontinent guru, please help us keep the FAQ thread up-to-date by adding important information which is absent, or pointing out information which is no longer being represented accurately.
Choosing a country to post to:
When you make a po...
more »
10-Feb-2004 04:39
Apollo
last reply
14-Jan-2010 18:54
rectravel
140 replies
202,234 views
location:
India
Welcome to the Indian Subcontinent branch, please read this thread first!
If you have any links or tips about travelling in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh or Bhutan, feel free to post them in here
Note: Commercial advertising is prohibited on the Thorn Tree as per our Terms of Use. If you come across any tour operators advertising or spamming their business on Thorn Tree (or by private message) then above each post on Thorn Tree you will see a row of icons. If you click on the yellow triangle with the ! you can report a post to the moderators. Please include a brief note advising why you think the post needs looking at and the moderation team will review it. You can also use the report button to request the deletion of accidental multiple postings.
Guidebook Updates
To get the lat...
more »
11-Feb-2010 02:15
shiva2010
last reply
11-Feb-2010 02:15
shiva2010
0 replies
6 views
location:
India
I am either going to Rishikesh or Haridwar the last week of March. I still haven´t decided which place is better.
Can anyone recommend a beautiful ashram where they teach Vinyasa or Iyengar yoga? I prefer Haridwar, as it is supposed to be more relaxed and more authentical.
I already have my tickets and arrive in Trichy, then will bus up to Tiruvannamalai (near Chennai) and spend my time there. Did I pick a really bad time to go? I am expecting some heat (but nothing like in April, May and June right) and rain, but it won't be THAT bad will it?
And busing it from Trichy shouldn't be a problem with anything as serious as washed out roads etc (I HOPE)?
Anyone with experience in that area at this time, I'm hungry for some info!
Thanks
10-Feb-2010 23:51
gigacycle
last reply
10-Feb-2010 23:51
gigacycle
0 replies
18 views
location:
India
Not sure if this is a scam, or just a very bad deal for the consumer backed by high-pressure selling, but at the moment if you look like a tourist in Baga/Calangule in Goa, someone will come riding up to you on a motorbike and offer you a chance to win prizes in a promotion by Kingfisher, the beer company.
If you accept, you'll be taken to a small resort on the Baga river where you'll be offered the chance to claim your prize, as long as you sit through the one-hour sales pitch. The tout will give you a hard-luck story that you have to stay for the presentation or he won't get his Rs 3000 bonus payment.
The deal you'll be offered is incredible prices on four-star resorts throughout the world, in exchange for a "25 year membership" of the Royal Resort club. I was quoted about AUD$14K (reduced for one day only from AUD$17K !!!) but if you turn it down, they'll immediately come bac...
more »
If i buy a ticket today for the date i want to go to Mumbai it will be £378, if i wait untill i get my visa and want to go on the same date ( i do) it will be £50-£70 more.. SO shall i gamble that the visa rules don,t change again, that they don,t lose my passport in the system decisions decisions
10-Feb-2010 20:16
mirliton
last reply
10-Feb-2010 21:34
Pirate_at_50
1 replies
17 views
location:
Sri Lanka
This is similar to my earlier post, but I would like to hear from anyone who has been on the south coast at Galle or Unawatuna in April. I know it may be wet, but I am trying to gauge whether it could be too reliably rainy to enjoy the beach and being outdoors.
KATHMANDU (AFP) – As Haiti counts the cost of last month's devastating earthquake, experts are warning of the potential for an even greater disaster in another of the world's poorest countries, Nepal.
Geologists say it is only a matter of time before a major earthquake hits Nepal's densely populated capital Kathmandu, where 2.5 million people live in cramped, poorly-built housing with little or no awareness of the dangers.
Nepal sits on the border between two huge plates that have moved together over millions of years to form the Himalayas.
Geologists believe it is at risk from an earthquake with a magnitude of around eight -- 10 times as powerful as the Haiti shock that killed more than 212,000 people.
Nepal has not suffered a major quake for decades, and expert David Petley believes the troubled country is woefully unprepared.
"From a geological perspective the risk seems to be...
more »
10-Feb-2010 19:21
jabberwock
last reply
10-Feb-2010 21:38
Pirate_at_50
1 replies
12 views
location:
Sri Lanka
Hello,
I am cycling in Sri Lanka in a couple of weeks and keen to buy a good road map. Last time I travelled in Madagascar I used Reise, which was great. (double-sided, waterproof, tear-proof etc). Has anyone got any recommendations for maps? I think I saw that the reise sri lanka map is not double sided, would it be better to get the rough guide map?
Thanks!
Ps I have still not decided to buy bikes and then bring them so if anyone knows a place that has reasonale bikes in sri lanka i can bring the rest of the stuff.
Hi all
Really enjoyed my stay @ JJ Homestay here in Munnar with friendly family. Can anyone recommend a similar local family owned place in Fort Cochin that's clean, friendly etc.
Been recommended the Princess Inn, anyone stayed there recently who can confirm.Thanks in advance for any replies
amtrakker
10-Feb-2010 18:23
amtrakker
last reply
10-Feb-2010 18:23
amtrakker
0 replies
10 views
location:
India
Thinking of heading further along the Western Ghats from Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, and wonder if anyone can recommend budget lodging (basic but clean) for around 200-350Rp for a single in these towns.
Also, has anyone accessed Silent Valley NP, and can advise which forestry dept to contact (the one here in Munnar isn't much help) and if there are are forestry huts / treehouses that you can book.
Thanks in advance for any replies
amtrakker
10-Feb-2010 17:35
awesomeredhead
last reply
11-Feb-2010 00:59
Martin2008
1 replies
13 views
location:
India
This summer my friend (female ,20) and I (male, 20) are traveling to India. We are meeting a group there at the end of August and wanted to travel around before. We were considering Nepal but for various reasons that trip won't work for us. Our group is going up and down the west coast of India and we would love to travel to other parts of India as well. If you have any ideas of neighboring countries or easy to get to places we would love your input. Thanks
10-Feb-2010 16:52
tassietraveller
last reply
11-Feb-2010 00:24
Petrus
2 replies
33 views
location:
Nepal
Hi,
Has anyone done any treks or tours with High Asia Tours?
Any feedback would be appreciated.
Going to Nepal in September and my friend is doing research at the moment and she is looking at booking us a trek with this company.
Thanks in advance
10-Feb-2010 16:07
planningoftravel
last reply
10-Feb-2010 17:06
indianresident
3 replies
31 views
10-Feb-2010 15:34
olimilverton
last reply
10-Feb-2010 15:34
olimilverton
0 replies
8 views
location:
India
Hello all
Im a 19 year old British male.
I am curently in India (Pushkar) where I am traveling mainly in the north and have no fixed plans. I will be in India untill bettween the 10th or 20th of March when I will be going to Nepal to do volunteer work and trecking. I am also going to Australia (from 8th May), and New Zealand (from 24th June).
Anyone in the area and fancy meeting up get in touch.
10-Feb-2010 15:27
hankrearden
last reply
10-Feb-2010 15:27
hankrearden
0 replies
22 views
location:
Sri Lanka
I'm looking for a cool (temperature) place to escape to in order to avoid Thailand's hot season (as well as the probable coming political turmoil) in March and April. Is there a place in Sri Lanka where it will be cool during that time, and not too rainy if possible? I am interested in just hanging out, reading, eating decent food and hiking. It would be nice if there would be a good range of decent accommodation at reasonable prices - if that's not asking too much. (By "reasonable" prices I mean not more than, say, US$500 per month for a one/two month stay.) Oh, and a good wireless internet connection would be nice too. Thanks very much for any suggestions.
I would greatly appreciate some advice with an itinerary if possible..as despite pouring over endless pages on the forum Ive yet to come up with a viable route that best suits us for a mere 3wks in Northern India..
My partner and I are flying to Dehli on 25th Feb..we're 25/36yrs..both fairly well travelled(SE Asia..Southern India..Australia..etc) but this will be our first trip to Northern India..
As we fly in and out of Delhi it seems likely that we'll end up doing the well trodden route of Agra..Varanasi and/or maybe parts of Rajastan..
Id say we're on a low/medium budget..nowt fancy..we're used to basic stuff but can afford a treat or two along the way and we're aiming to travel by train rather than the private car option..
Ideally..this is only ideally..we would love to see Varanasi..Agra..Jaipur..Pushkar and Udaipur but appreciate its only 3wks and therefore welcome sugge...
more »
Posted By: VenessaP -- 28-Jan-2010 15:01
Posted By: VenessaP -- 09-Dec-2009 17:01
India: Destination information
India will sideswipe you with its size, clamour and diversity - but if you enjoy delving into convoluted cosmologies and thrive on sensual overload, then it is one of the most intricate and rewarding ...more »
India doesn't even have to try: it will bowl you out with its head-reeling mix of cultures, its fast-swelling cities ...buy it »
Booking hotels is simple with Lonely Planet. See our reviewed and recommended hotels and book online.
Tweak your wanderlust
With you all the way
Tweets, feeds and more
Go behind the scenes
Travel inspiration to your door