an environmentally sound way of getting to India from UK
Replies: 8 - Last Post: Dec 3, 2012 4:35 PM Last Post By: nicole
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an environmentally sound way of getting to India from UK
Hi,I am rather at my wit's end trying to work out a responsible way of doing this. Any advice will be very gratefully received!
I live in London and have recently accepted an offer of a placement in New Delhi volunteering for the VSO.
I have been sincerely trying to work out a route that would mean the least impact on the planet. I have extensively researched an overland route – by train through Europe, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and India or by train through Europe, Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Pakistan. Unfortunately – the current political situation means that I cannot risk going through Pakistan either way. On the other side of the Himalayas, China’s attitude to Tibet prevents me from making it into the country that way.
Another route I am considering now is through Europe, Turkey, Iran across by ferry to the UAE and then some kind of boat over to India. However, this is risky – I would have to hitch a lift with a working men’s boat, and although I am travelling with my boyfriend, it is inadvisable, I have been told, for my personal safety. Not only that but the boats that go across the Arabian sea are old and often terrible pollutants themselves.
I am afraid that we are far off affording a cruise from Southampton! And anyway, aren’t many ships as bad as flying?
I wonder if there is any route to India that you can suggest that is environmentally sound and affordable? I am feeling a little defeated...
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes,
Masha
5
A solo female traveller in my 60s, I did this route a few years ago, travelling through Pakistan, Iran and Turkey. Took buses, not trains, for most of it.Across Pakistan and south Iran buses are much safer than trains. I found the people in Quetta (Pakistan) and Zahedan (Iran) were amazing. (In fact I got conned over changing money in Quetta, only because the con-man didn't seem different from all the other lovely helpful people there.)
I've also spent time in China recently. Did you know that the Chinese government pays for the education of the young Buddhist monks in Tibetan Buddhist temples all over China? I was told this by the young monks I met, who mostly seemed quite affluent. Nothing is quite as simple as it looks from this side of the world.
6
All this ´Go-eko´, ´Travel responsibly´, ´Save the planet´ malarkey is too little, too late.Time people faced up to the fact that the planet´s doomed, and we´re all screwed.
And as for the idea of traveling by train as an environmentally friendly alternative . . . diesel trains and generating stations that produce electricity used by trains spew out way more crap into the atmosphere than any jet plane ever could.
7
i think you are over thinking your tour. i think, if you sum up all ferry/ship fuel you'll consume on your trip to India (regardless the route) to the fuel you'll be using if you'll travel by plane,you consume more with ships/ferries. It more tiring anyway if you go around the world trying to reach India.
