SJOGuy

I've been wanting to visit India for years and I keep putting it off. It's suddenly occurred to me what the reason is: The months of the year when weather there is at is most pleasant (in other words, these months) are difficult for me to get away, and that's going to be the case again this year too. (And next.)

Is a trip in April or May, with their soaring temperatures, as unbearable as I've read? I'd like to take in some of the standard destinations that a first-timer would visit; I don't want to have to confine myself to the Himalaya region or anything.

Thank you for any input.

abhilife2001

April - June are usually the hottest seasons in most parts.. but it can get hot in March and July - August too depedning on which part of India u are in..

Is it possible for you to make it during Feb - March or September - November if not during Dec - Jan ?? Those will be relatively better periods but note that India is a tropical country..
But u r from Costa Rica and I guess would be used to the heat , so it should be much more bearable for you

SJOGuy

Thank you, abhilife.

It's not as hot as you'd think where I live. San Jose, Costa Rica, is 1,300 m/4,000 ft above sea level in the center of the country. Very pleasant temperatures year round. Down near the coast it gets very hot, especially at certain times of the year.

My problem is that if I want to make the trip in 2011 and want a decent amount of time to spend in India, it'll have to be April or May. People must visit during those months, although not as many. Would I regret making the trip?

travelmad478

It can be done, but you would want to plan your itinerary carefully to avoid monsoons and extreme heat. I took my first vacation trip to India in the month of June (like you, that was the only time I had available). Parts of the trip, which covered a lot of ground in the south and north, were unbearable, while parts were just fine. If you visit some "hill stations" and places in higher altitude you will be OK, but be aware that in many lower-lying areas it will be too hot to do much sightseeing in the daytime. For instance, we went to Madurai, but couldn't even leave our air-conditioned hotel room until late afternoon because it was just so scorching. In Delhi, the temperature was 46 C. I didn't even realize that the thermometer went that high On the more pleasant side, we went to Shimla and Manali in the north, and Kodaikanal, Thekkady, and Periyar in the south, which were just fine.

I have always wanted to visit the northeast, which is more mountainous--that might be a good destination, and it's certainly off the beaten tourist path.

If you are thinking of the standard tourist "Golden Triangle"--Delhi, Agra, Jaipur--it will be seriously, obnoxiously hot. I wouldn't recommend it (although I have done it!).

Keyser

sjoguy, what parts of india are you planning on seeing????

SJOGuy

Ideally, it would be some of the standard first-timer places, as travelmad says, the standard tourist "Golden Triangle"--Delhi, Agra, Jaipur. I can be flexible, certainly, and work other places into my itinerary. But the heat ...

Thank you for your input, travelmad.

Keyser

for all the places you mentioned, it starts to get hot in april & may gets even worse....but having said that, a friend of mine from france was here in june-july (undoubtedly the worse months) & she did the whole delhi, agra, rajasthan, amritsar bit....even though it was hot, she said she really enjoyed herself....

on the bright side, since it will be off-season at all these places, you are bound to get some good deals on air travel & hotel stays....

SJOGuy

Thank you, saad. It would be scorching, I realize, and, true, there should be fewer crowds and lower prices to be had.

rsh913

I suggest go ahead and plunge in. I've lived in Delhi during the worst of the summers and I am sure you will have a good time. Just keep hydrated and cool and wear sunscreen. Have a jolly good time. ho ho ho.

Babu

SJOGuy,

In my experience, May has been a tough month to visit India...noticeably hotter than even June/July/August. I would see if a better time of year can be a possibility in 2012 or beyond. If not, then take the plunge! But if you can push it off a few years and travel outside of April or May, then consider than option.

Regardless of when you go, I am sure the experience will leave an indelible impression in your mind.

SJOGuy

A lot to think about here. I appreciate all the input. Thanks to all.

hserus

Try down south - the beaches etc. Or try the hill resorts (ooty, mussorie, simla etc). Those are good fun in midsummer. Oh yeah, you might also consider a houseboat trip on the Kumarakom backwaters in Kerala.

SJOGuy

Thank you all for your input. After reading all your posts, I'm leaning toward not going this year. I see suggestions here for a lot of alternatives I've never heard of. Not that they wouldn't be great places to visit (I'm sure if you're recommending them, they are ) but I really want to take in all those well-trodden, first-timer places: Delhi, Agra, and, especially, Rajasthan, and I gather the heat in Rajasthan would be especially brutal in April or May.

I could get a week in February, but that's a long way to go for just a week. My project for this year, then, will be to juggle my schedule around and arrange for a decent block of time to travel in either November 2011 or January-February 2012.

I appreciate all your suggestions, and will be reading this forum faithfully in the future.

abhilife2001

Hope u can make it in 2011 end or 2012 beginning.. cheers ^