India in April, May June, Nepal in July and Aug

Hi,

I'm planning a trip to India and Nepal and it's looking like I'll be in India in April and May and then Nepal in July and Aug.
I've never visited either country and although I've been reading a lot about the weather and best time to go, I'd like some input from people that have actually been there.

I'm used to chilly UK weather and I'm concerned that it's going to be unbearably hot in India. Is this the case?

Also, will it be equally hot in Nepal, bearing in mind that I'll be trekking up into the mountains? My main worry for Nepal is that the Himalaya will be obscured by cloud - is this likely in July and August?

Thanks very much for your help.

Best wishes,

Chris.

My research tells me July and August will be very wet in Nepal with monsoon season.

Just change your itinerary. Go to Nepal in April in May - you will enjoy a pre-monsoon Nepal season and avoid the hottest month in India (May).
Afterwards move to India. June is still extremly hot but very pleasant if you visit hill stations area (Dhalousie, McLeodganj, Manali, Shimla, Musoorie, Almora). With onset of monsoon move to lower locations. Temperature drop significantly (from over 40 to over 30) except maybe in places that sometimes stay dry. It will be much nicer to travel around India in July and August than in May and June when the temperatures are rising towards 50C.

Fantastic, thanks for the information.

Switching the itinerary is a great idea. You're right, it makes complete sense to go to Nepal in April and May, then the hill stations in India until the monsoon.

I'd like to finish my tour of India in Goa and Kerala, with hopefully some time to relax on the beach. Would it still be very wet there in July/August?

I am in India every July and August but never in the South. In Varkala (Kerala) I was told the resort is more or less shut down in that time. I read reports how unpleasant is overnight backwater cruise because of mosquitos in summer. There was an outbreak of chikunya epidemic (mosquito transfered disease) in summer 2006 in Allepy area with heavy death toll.
If you want to catch another high season beside Nepal you should visit Ladakh in July and August. You can add Spiti and some other places in Himachal...

Thanks for the info, that's very useful.

So it looks like I should avoid Goa and Keral in July and Aug.

Charukaransingh, an itinerary would be very interesting and I'd very much appreciate it if you have the time. I'm going to go with Kolobar's suggestion and have the following outline for the trip:

April and May - Nepal (I'd like to get to Everest base camp and do plenty of trekking - I love mountains)
June July Aug - India (I'd like to see Taj Mahal, Amritsar, Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi...the more I read about India the more I find I want to see - what an amazing country!)

Just a remark: coming form Nepal to India in June is a great shock. From reasonably warm Kathmandu you will get into the hottest period of year and temperatures might be 15-20 C higher than in Nepal. I suggest you to fly to Delhi and head to hills as soon as possible. Dharamsala, Manali, Shimla are just overnight bus drive away, Musoorie even less. June is a holiday time in India and many Indians spend it in hill stations to avoid heath of the plains. It affects prices and availability of accomodation in the hills but it is still better than wandering around in boiling atmosphere of the plains. Wait for the onset of monsoon (beginning of July in NW India) before you move on would be the best option.

Thanks Kolobar, I'm happy to stay in the mountains till the monsoon breaks...and you reckon it's best to avoid the south (Goa, Kerala) until October?

I dont think the south is to be completely forgotten just be aware of limitations and risks. There is a famous boat race in Cochi in August and observing the approaching of monsoon from Malabar coast seems to be very impressive according to the book. Maybe reading of it is a good preparation for the trip.

Ok, great. Thanks for the recommendation, I'll read it.