Time of year to reach India...

[JoeSheffer]

Trying to plan a London to Nagaland trip (and home via north africa) for just over a years time.

Whats the best time to reach india...i intend to reach ladakh on the way home.
Im trying to reach getting drenched in the monsoon/making riding impossible in wet areas.


Would it be advisable for me to try to see southern india in early may (so crossing pakistain etc. before then from Iran) and reaching Northern parts of india aswell as Nepal for mid June?

[davidmc]

The monsoon varies quite a bit depending on where you are in India, you can't really generalize about it. It may be easier to deal with the monsoon than the heat. Late April through May is the hottest time of the year in Northern India, I can't imagine a worse place to be. Think 40-45C during the day. India is challenging enough on a bike without the heat.

The Indian monsoon (depending on which part of India, of course) may not be a problem, especially if it rains primarily in the mid to late afternoon. But if you want to see Ladakh, you will have to deal with either the heat or the monsoon. I think the heat would be tougher to deal with.

[seanh]

The monsoon arrives on the west coast of India in May, but is not such a bad thing, most roads are paved and easily passable. You'll get wet, but it's not too big a problem.
Northern India will be very hot, but mid year is the best (and only) time of year to get up to Ladakh. I travelled from south India up the west coast a couple of years ago, from Mumbai to Delhi i put the bike on a train to avoid the heat/chaos and long days in the saddle through the northern plains.
Sean

[a1arn]

Mid May is blisteringly hot, as is early June in Northern India. You'll be drinking 5 litres of water a day, if you can ride through it. Apart from the regular monsoon beginning mid may in South India the NE region also has rain in winter.

Once the rains set in the road surfaces can deteriorate rapidly - and in most places they will not be repaired properly till October.

If ladakh is on your agenda, then April to end Oct makes sense thru the all weather road via Kargil - the more interesting Manali route opens only in July, and closes officially by Oct.

[colesyboy]

Spend month in the north - Himalayers - Ladakh & Kashmir, then head south at the start of Oct, thats what we did and had the best time. It's a little bit cold - but if my girlfriend can do it, so can you.

It really is a stunning part of the world. We are now heading south for some sun, sea and tropical fruits - just do it!!!!!