delhi to kathmandu

Hi James! I've already booked and paid - I have never been to India or Nepal, never travelled with Exodus and never travelled solo (erm..in a group!) either...BRING IT ON! Can't wait.... You booked yet?

hey there, hope your well. No ive not booked anything yet, ive got my heart set on india but im just trying to find which trip has the most solo travellers on it as i feel it would be a better experience for us all. I spoke to exodus about the same trip which goes on jan 22, and they told me they had 10 booked on it but there was only two solo travellers on it and the rest are couples.....im sure it would still be fine but i think if everyone is in the same boat it will be better.....does that make sense. Do you know anything about the group your going to be with? But yeah im in the same boat as you, ive never done anything like this, have you read all the reports that people have wrote? they sound amazing....and yeah i know as soon as im booked on one im gunna be sooooo excited.

Hmmmm....that's a shame that there are only two solo and four couples...I thought that the whole point of this option was so that you didn't feel too alianated by couples being well...too couply! Ah, no worries...I'm sure it will be fine anyway! No, I haven't got a clue who I'm going to be with...I was hoping there would be more people like you posting on here, so I could get to know some more people before departure... My only problem right now is getting my visas sorted. I live in Switzerland and I travel at least once a month (either with work or for leisure), so I haven't quite found the right time to post off my passport yet...I'd better sort it out pronto! God yeah, I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!!! Go on James...book it, book it, BOOK IT!!

ok well im gunna phone exodus during the week and find out how many solo travellers are on the trip going on the 9th january. When i phoned them the first time i made a mistake and asked about the one going on the 22nd instead of the one which i posted the original thread about.( i actually forgot id posted something here when i phoned). So if i book on the one your going on then at least there will be us two who are in the same boat and hopefully there will be a few more of us going on there own. I will post back on here when i have phoned them and will let you know how many people are going and how many are going solo. What are you doing in the way of jabs? and have you got your visa sorted out? ive done a bit of research online and i dont think it takes to long to get the visa which we would need. Then again i forgot your in switzerland so not sure if its the same as in the uk.

• DATE: Ah! OK, I hadn't realised that you had the date of 9th of Jan in your first post...Sorry, yeah, I'm going on the 22nd...
• JABS: having the ones that are recommended on the trip notes (polio, tetanus, diptheria, hepatitis A and also malaria tablets) - will get them done sometime in December I think.
• VISAS: again, will get them sorted in December - doing lots of travelling at the mo, so I'm using my passport...yeah, I live in Switzerland, so will have to figure out how/where to get them!

My friend and I are going on this trip. I have been with Exodus to Peru and Vietnam. Their trips are great. It's my firend's first trip but she has been to India before and wants to go again. Just got my Indian visa and malaria tablets so all set........... Look forward to meeting you all. Jean (and Anna)

Hi. Im going on this trip but not whilst October. I was wondering what jobs other people were planning to have. In the Exodus trip notes they advise to have Hep A, Tetanus, Typhoid, Polio, Diptheia & Malaria Prophylaxis, then it also mentions consulting your local GP. Well I contacted my GP and they have advised me to also have a jab for Meningcoccal Infection, Hep B, Japanese Encepalitis & Rabies. These extra ones add up to £415.. I don't mind if you really do need them. But thought I'd ask what other people were having also.. Any advise would be much appreciated.. Gemma

I had Hep A, Tetanus, Typhoid, Polio, Diptheia & Malaria Prophylaxis (chloroquine cost £2 for 20!) over the counter. I was also offered the one syou were offered but declined. I have had rabies and hep B before . I think you will be ok with just the main ones.

Thankyou for this info. I don't mind getting the jabs but only if I need them. It's nice to know what other people have had to help me try and make my mind up on what to have. Thanks

so when are you planning on going then gemma?

I am going in October. Have you booked yet? Are you going on this one in January?

well hopefully, im just waiting for some money to come through, but its going to be another couple of weeks so im going to be pushing it a bit i think. But i really want to do this trip though, sounds great.

Hope to see you on the trip in Jan James.

I have got my visa £39.05 from Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}

http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/touristvisa_fees.html

be careful as there are many sites wanting £60+ 

Jean

hey jean, yeah hopefully i will get my money through within the next 2 weeks, and will be booking on this trip. I think you should leave 8 weeks between getting your jabs and the departure date, so i will be cutting it fine.    

so how long did it take for your visa to come through?

Do you and your friend live in the uk?

james

Hi my visa took 10 days but I think you can get it quicker if you deliver it and collect it yourself.

Most of the jabs are free eg Hep A, Tetanus, Typhoid, Polio, Diptheia and you could ensure you ahve them now. Malaria Prophylaxis (chloroquine cost £2 for 20!) over the counter.

Yes we both live in UK. I am in Berkshire and Anna in Norfolk. She will come here before the flight.

Where are you?

Thanks for the info jean. Im in northamptonshire. So what was your trip to peru and vietnam like? Did you do them on your own or with a friend?

Ok. Both the trips were great and I thoroughly recommend Exodus. I went with another friend but the groups always gel together despite ages and singles/ married couples. Most of the time we ate together in the evenings - unless we decided to do something else, or werent hungry, which was rare. It will be fun :)

Just a bit of info for you.

I went on this trip in March 2010. It is really great but lthere are lots and lots of temples and forts. Don't be afraid to ask the guide for something different if you get fed up with them. If your guide is anything like ours he'll find something else very interesting to do in very short time.

Get loads of 10 and 20 rp notes for tips etc. ASAP. Everyone expects to be tipped for photos etc and if you have a wallet loaded with 100's you'll be in an embarassing situation. The kids (and others) love coloured pens and hotel size soaps etc which are a good alternative to tips.

 Lastly the Everest flight is a bit of a con if it is the same Budha Airways Beechcraft as ours. Every passenger has a window but the majority of those on the left only get a good view of a wing and/or propellor on the way out and those on the right see nothing of the mountains (wrong side as plane is flying a parallel course).

On the way back those on the right have to look over their shoulders to see Everest as the plane neither flies far enough before it turns nor near enough to get a good view. Its good if you want a flight in a small plane and quick views of and from the cockpit but an expensive let down if you are wanting a good view of the mountain.

Otherwise, its a really good trip and the Exodus guides are excellent and an education. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Slopey for that info. Is there a better way of a flight with better views?

 

yeah cheers for the heads up, that was something i was really looking forward too aswell, still might, but thanks for the tip.

I have emailed Exodus re your comment and aske dif there is a different company.

It would be nice to hear if Exodus come back to you with anything about this as I also was looking at doing the everest flight when i go in October. 

There were various operators advertising flights but some may well be a little dubious.

I must say the pilots and cabin crew were very helpful and took a load of pics for me (and others) from the cockpit - mostly much better than my own - and explained what was what.

 It is an awe inspiring sight and worth considering as a 'once in a lifetime', but, nearly all of our group who went felt the flight did not live up to its billing by a long way.

Yes i know what you mean as Exodus would not let us fly over the Nazca lines in an aircraft which they had done previously. It was for aour safety and last yera yet another plane crashed there.

Am still looking forward to doing it and pleased that they took some pics for you (and hopefully me!)

Slopey someone said padlock your case to your leg for the train journey. Do we have our own carriages (like I had in Vietnam we were 4 to a compartment). Or was it for anyone on the train?

The train journey was a laugh - if you are used to and tolerant of backpacking type travel. You stay with your bag all the way. Its in the compartment with you but you need to take some basic precautions like keeping it well into the compartment and not on the end of the bunk. I had a light strap and lock so I could secure the bag but it was not really needed. The rep will try to book Exodus passengers together but inevitably some will be in compartments with strangers so you need to be sensible. Just depends on availability, I guess.

 Incidentally, the toilets on the train were a lot better than those in the station (squatters). Suffering from a touch of heatstroke (similar symptoms to Dehli Belly) I had an experience using the station loo which was well and truly 'Lavotorial' humour but it was a scream and I have had people in stiches reinacting the scene, Amazing memories!

 

Thanks it sounds very similar to the Vietnamese train ride!

Hi Everyone!

Im Marie and im going on this trip as a solo traveller. Just wanted to say hi and get to know who is on the trip. This is my first solo trip so a little nervous about it but i know it'll be great!

Hello everyone!

JABS: Gemma, yeah, you've listed them all (had forgotten typhoid)...As for the extras, I wouldn't worry about them. Rabies is indeed recommended, but (a) as long as you stay away from dogs you should be fine (b) that's the one that really is expensive and (c) it really hurts!!! 

VISAS: I've just got my Nepalese visa through and will get my Indian visa in January...I'm getting them done in Switzerland and it cost me around £25 for my Nepalese visa and around £50 or so for my Indian...

TEMPLES: Thanks for the tip Slopey!  So, can people choose to not follow the group and do their own thing if they want to? I'm only asking because I love taking photos, and rather than hold the group up, I could just go off on my own...Is that possible??

EVEREST: Yeah, I was really looking forward to that part of the trip too, but it sounds like it's not worth it...Might have to reconsider...

My one big worry for this trip is that I have to get to Heathrow from Switzerland...as the snowfall might get worse again, I fear the airport might close...But then, if I can't get into Heathrow, you probably won't be able to get out, either!! I have booked my flight to London two days before departure, so if airports close, I can always attempt coming by train..........(please don't snow, please don't snow, please don't snow!!!!)

Hi. Thanks for your advice. I have had so much controversial information from people. I am two minds as to what to do. I certainly don't want to waste money on jabs I don't require, but will pay if need be. But from hearing back from posts it seems that most people have just gone with the ones exodus have listed so far. Therefore i will more than likely go with that. Thankyou once again for your advice. Any advice is helpful and appreciated, before or after your trip. Thanks. Gemma 

The rabies jab buys you time as you need to be able to get to a health centre within 24 hours if bitten.  I have heard there are a lot of monkeys hanging around the temples in Kathmandu so I guess they could bite if provoked, but I have decided not to have rabies or Japanese whatever, just stick with the basics.  I was silly enough to use the Exodus recommended visa service Travcour and it cost me £122.  I am going on the 22nd jan trip solo.  My only previous Exodus trip was the gorillas and Masai Mara in 2007 and that was amazing, primitive raw Africa, the pic was taken on Virunga mountain.  This trip sounds like luxury by comparison - ensuite bathrooms with towels provided!

James are you booked for this Sat? Anyone else? Lesley that is disgusting for the VISA. I hope that you have emailed EXODUS and told them to remove this link.

 

Or any other clues about clothes to take.  Do we need long sleeves, or skirts, or whatever to avoid offending in temples and the like?

James - the cynic in me says that Travcour's price is so high partly because they have to pay commission to Exodus....

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I have been looking on the internet!

http://www.weatherforecastmap.com/india/delhi/    smoke? Do they mean fog?

 

http://www.weatherforecastmap.com/india/jaipur/

 

http://www.weatherforecastmap.com/india/varanasi/

I am taking trousers and t shirts plus a thermal layer and fleece if needed for the cold mornings and evenings. Also maybe 1 skirt and a couple of long sleeve shirts and a scarf if necessary to cover up.

http://www.weatherforecastmap.com/nepal/kathmandu/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g304551-d530858-r88836735-Hotel_Vikram-New_Delhi_National_Capital_Territory_of_Delhi.html

Exodus hotels are usually quite good. Haven't really experienced any bad ones on my 2 trips.

I'm not getting rabies jabs, doc said they not necessary for two week tour also anti malaria not needed for northern India at this time of year. Temperature in Deli about 20 deg. but there has been heavy rain, hopefully it will clear up. I've been wondering what cloths to bring. think a scarf good idea for temples.

I think we need malaria for Nepal. I have got mine.

Hi, thanks jajin, looks like I will need anti malaria for Napal. Which trip are you going on, this Saturday or the 22th.

I am going this Saturday. jean

Not long now, must be exciting, hope you have a great time.

Just a quick hello to everyone going on the trip on 22 Jan. A little info for those going with exodus for the first time - I've done 4 trips with them, one of them a solo's and whilst every trip has been great and all the groups very friendly the best group was on the solo's trip, hence me booking one one again

... nice to meet you.  I can't call myself a veteran, having been on one Exodus trip before, but it was a friendly group, we became a 'tribe' for the 2 weeks we were together, and it was a good experience.