Monsoon touring India, and what about the camping!?

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John Peel

Senior Member
Location
Cheshire England
Monsoons and Camping in Asia

Wanting to be in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam for the drier season, means cycling through India in monsoon season, so I now have a new India visa valid for 12 months so time is not an issue as long as it's complete this year. I wanted to get the visa formalities out of the way now rather than on the move.

I expect to arrive in Mumbai India around May/June, heading down the West coast to Trivandrum. This should only take me about 2 months at a nice pace, meaning I might be all done by about August. I have allowed a long visa for lots of reasons, including that I have been to India before and love it, so might find a place to stay a while maybe.

With such a long visa I could continue up the East coast to Kolkata before flying out to Thailand from there, or even look at getting passage through Bangladesh and Myanmar, which could be unlikely.

Now if I'm having a crappy time down to Trivandrum, I will likely just head straight to Thailand and not bother with the East coast. The East coast is just a "what if", and was never a part of my original plan. So who has cycle toured the coasts of India during monsoon season, and what's your advice?

Camping is my other question. Is it worth taking all my camping gear or just keeping my mozzie net and sending the rest on to family in Australia for when I reach there, and not bothering taking it through the other parts of Asia, as I'm told there is never anywhere to camp and digs are so cheap it's really not worth it. Wouldn't want to get caught out not finding any digs of course?

Cheers. Steve
 

Adam4868

Guru
Ive not cycled in India but ive travelled up and down that coast to Trivandrum(lighthouse beach) a few times and the rest of India.I wouldnt consider camping there as accomodation is plentiful and cheap.Sounds like a good trip youll have a ball ! Good luck
 
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John Peel

John Peel

Senior Member
Location
Cheshire England
Ive not cycled in India but ive travelled up and down that coast to Trivandrum(lighthouse beach) a few times and the rest of India.I wouldnt consider camping there as accomodation is plentiful and cheap.Sounds like a good trip youll have a ball ! Good luck

I too have travelled from Lighthouse Beach to Goa and by train, and had a couple of great days on a rice boat. It’s a great place to visit, but it will be very different on a bike. Thanks.
 
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John Peel

John Peel

Senior Member
Location
Cheshire England
I'm sure you'll have a great time but India doesn't have a great road safety record. 160,000 killed a year, compared to about 1700 in the UK.

Scary how many people get killed in India. Hundreds a year are killed by elephants and tigers there, and thank god our hedgehogs are friendly.

Just going through a coarse of injections at the moment including rabies and yellow fever, Hepatitis A/B, tetanus, typhoid, and more.

Not that I might really need some of them but some countries won’t let you in if you have travelled first through a country known to have the virus’s.
 
Monsoons and Camping in Asia

With such a long visa I could continue up the East coast to Kolkata before flying out to Thailand from there, or even look at getting passage through Bangladesh and Myanmar, which could be unlikely.

Twenty odd years ago I cycled through Bangladesh and through Myanmar (illegally just paid presents to the local head huncho's) I was not impressed with Bangladesh then I was also in Bangladesh 6 years ago and nothing seemed to have changed in the words of a certain president its a S'hole but then maybe i am just too unkind.
 
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John Peel

John Peel

Senior Member
Location
Cheshire England
Twenty odd years ago I cycled through Bangladesh and through Myanmar (illegally just paid presents to the local head huncho's) I was not impressed with Bangladesh then I was also in Bangladesh 6 years ago and nothing seemed to have changed in the words of a certain president its a S'hole but then maybe i am just too unkind.

:smile: He certainly has a way with words, like most of us. I have heard that from other, and it's not really important that I try to cycle through Bangladesh or Myanmar, as I will likely either fly to Thailand from either Kolkata or Trivandrum.
 

rualexander

Legendary Member
I cycle toured in India for three months back in 1995. And Thailand/Malaysia in 1992.
No point in carrying camping gear really. Accommodation is cheap and plentiful, you'll always find something, even helpful and friendly locals might put you up for the night if you get stuck.
I met a tiger on the road in Mudumalai National Park, it was a hundred yards or so up the road when I saw it crossing the road, I stopped and watched it carry on into the forest and waited for a truck to come alongside me before carrying on!
Further up the road there was a sign "Danger, Elephants, do not get out of your car" !
 
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John Peel

John Peel

Senior Member
Location
Cheshire England
I cycle toured in India for three months back in 1995. And Thailand/Malaysia in 1992.
No point in carrying camping gear really. Accommodation is cheap and plentiful, you'll always find something, even helpful and friendly locals might put you up for the night if you get stuck.
I met a tiger on the road in Mudumalai National Park, it was a hundred yards or so up the road when I saw it crossing the road, I stopped and watched it carry on into the forest and waited for a truck to come alongside me before carrying on!
Further up the road there was a sign "Danger, Elephants, do not get out of your car" !
 
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John Peel

John Peel

Senior Member
Location
Cheshire England
"I met a tiger on the road in Mudumalai" :smile: Sounds like it would make a great book title. Such experiences are priceless, it must have been amazing. I had to creep past an angry bull in the hills in Southern Spain, but nothing wilder yet. Yes, once I'm heading into India I will send all my camping gear on to Australia to family, as I hope to not have to need it again until then. I have a daily budget of £50 so expect that to go far in India and Asia and not have to worry about getting digs. Here's hoping :smile:, and here is that bull:
Bull%20Spain%20Stephen%20Peel.jpg
 

tyreon

Active Member
In SL

Just seen troupe of cycle ourists fully loaded coming up to Negombo. Sweating like beasts. Beat. Fazed. Cream crackered. Some wearing lucrative. 30c+. Bedlam. Buses,belching lorries,×50 scooters,cows,dogs,dust,mayhem. U sure Steve? At 24 it' see an experience. Double the age and it could be torture! Could this be called a pleasure...or a look into mayhem.
Not for me.
I know u to have a better side than myself so I hope you have fun.
Rural Europe is no rural Asia. I would only do it for the BBC and a book. £300k
 
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