DARJEELING, SIKKIM & KANCHENJUNGA

Natasha Owen travelled on this trip and you can read her article here to get a personal viewpoint of the holiday.

Glenary’s is a great place for cakes, pastries and Darjeeling tea and offers great views of Mount Kanchendjunga on clear days. Kunga’s is one of the best restaurants for Tibetan cuisine, the steamed momos are a must!

Kim Christie - Customer Operations

When walking in the mountains, the distance you cover each day can vary greatly due to gradient, terrain and altitude. As such it is very hard to give specific distances on each day.

For example, you might walk 7 miles one day and it takes 5 hours. The next day the trail might be very steep , rocky and gain substantial altitude and such factors mean you cover just 2 miles in 5 hours!

In the Himalaya, even the local people only ever talk about distances in the mountains in terms of how long it will take, i.e. 5 hours walk. On most trekking trips, you will walk for 3-4 hours in the morning and another couple after lunch.

Olly Leicester - Sales

Any time I go out, I normally just take sterling cash which, as long as you excercise the normal degree of common sense you would at home, is safe and easy. The India rupee is a closed currency, meaning you can only get it upon arrival in the country. There are exchange facilities at all arrival airports, and ATMs are available pretty much everywhere as well in case you need to top up along the way.

Brendan Phelan - Customer Operations

Unfortunately we are not qualified to answer all your questions in regards to travel health, so we strongly recommend you contact your GP or a Travel Health Clinic at least 8 weeks prior to departure for up-to-date information.

Nomad Travel Clinics are experts in preparing people for travel, providing advice on vaccinations, anti-malarial and staying healthy whilst overseas. We have arranged a special 10% discount for Exodus passengers on any vaccinations that you may require! Take along your Nomad discount card, sent with your confirmation pack, or call Exodus for your special discount code.
Visit www.nomadtravel.co.uk/exodus for further information.

For additional information please visit: www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk

Charlotte Taylor - India Operations

A definite place to visit when you have an extra day in Delhi is a trip to the Akshayadham temple. Situated on the outskirts of New Delhi in the embankment of River Yamuna, this sprawling Swaminarayan Akshardham spreads over 100 acres of land and is renowned for its carved pillars, water fountains and 20,000 statues. Made from white marble and pink stone this new temple was only completed in 2005 which makes it less well known by Western tourists or the guide books. A visit to the temple is the perfect way to explore the amazing world of Indian culture and get a unique view of the Hindu religion.

Another option is the Gandhi Smriti, a museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. This building (also known as Birla House) was where Gandhi spent his last days and also the site where he was assassinated on 30 Jan 1948, giving the name of the whole street Tees (30 in Indian language) January Road.  The Museum houses pictures and articles associated with the life and death of Gandhi. You can take a tour of the building including the room where he once lived and visit the garden sight where he was shot. This visit can be combined with a visit to Indira Gandhi Museum and the market of Canaught Place which are both about 10 minutes drive away.

Niraj Chand Shrestha - Customer Operations

Fancy a night out in India just like the locals? Head to a Bollywood movie and join the local in an evening packed with entertainment. The Bollywood masala movies are a mixture of dance, drama and musical with a break in between as most of these are lengthy 3 hours movies. This gives you the option to leave the theatre should you want to do that! The songs and dances make it like a 60’s musical where you could have the whole locals singing and dancing to the tune. Some movies become hits only because of these. Movie theatres that you may want to visit are; Raj Mandir in Jaipur, Odeon in  Canaught Place, New Delhi, Filmistan, Karol Bagh in New Delhi - but all cities have theatres. A word of warning- try to avoid the rush when entering and exiting the theatre and the crowded area and keep valuables with close to you zipped at all times and enjoy the show.

Niraj Chand Shrestha - Customer Operations

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (Toy Train) is now listed as by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The Batasia loop between Darjeeling and Ghum provides panoramic views on the surrounding hills and Mount Kanchendjunga. The joyride will stop off at the Batasia loop for about 10 minutes as it is the most scenic spot on the route, a trip to Ghum museum is also recommended.

Tiger Hill offers the world’s best sunrise! 11km from Darjeeling a 4am start will allow you to experience the most magnificent sunrise over the Mount Kanchendjunga range. As the sun appears the mountains change colour and on a clear morning Mount Everest is visible.

Kim Christie - Customer Operations

The cable car in Gangtok, Sikkim provides spectacular views of the local market and the surrounding valleys. It also serves as a good transport connection between Deorali, Nam-Nang and Tashiling.

Kim Christie - Customer Operations

Although not strictly necessary, some people do like to take them along as they can be useful, especially on the descents. However, remember to pack them in your hold luggage.

Brendan Phelan - Customer Operations

You can find a comprehensive article covering this matter here: http://www.himalayanrescue.org/hra/article.php?sno=9

Alex Doaga - Exodus leader

No. Indian visas must be pre-arranged in advance. Check the Indian embassy website for details.

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

Will Shoubridge - Agency Sales

India has delicious food to cater for all preferences but, like anywhere in the world, hygiene is important.  Keeping your hands well washed before eating, staying as hydrated as possible and sticking to bottled water is the best protection against an upset tum. Otherwise, mashed potato is apparently a good cure!

Brendan Phelan - Customer Operations

Please visit the Exodus Travel Guide to India where you can find out what plugs they use, as well as more detailed Country information in the menu on the left of the page.

You can view the Grading System for our Walking & Trekking programme online.

All the staff at Exodus share a passion for adventure travel, and are always happy to answer any questions you may have. You can find an expert for the area you are interested in here and can contact them to get further information. If you don't see your specific country listed, please email customerops@exodus.co.uk and they will get the answers you need!