India in April with 2 kids

Hello. We are an adventuress family with 2 kids (11 and 13) and we%26#39;d like to visit India for 10 days in late April. We would like to not see it through the window of a 5 star hotel but we also don%26#39;t want to get sick ... Also hopeless poverty and desperation will freak us out ... What do you suggest for first time Indian overview?

We love ethnic bazaars, interesting cities, chilling out and drinking in the ambience. We also love beaches but I suspect India%26#39;s beaches (Kerala and such) are nor comparable to Thailand (which we love and have visited 6 times already) so we are kind of flexible and happy to be advised.

If we did Kerala would that be a clean, sanitised way of experiencing Indian culture and life? Or are we missing out on the best?

Thanks!

India in April with 2 kids

';If we did Kerala would that be a clean, sanitised way of experiencing Indian culture and life? Or are we missing out on the best?';

Yes, it would be.... but, yes, you are.

I have never been to India in April.... only in October/November, which is their dry ';winter';, but it was still very hot and raining in the south; I hear that April is massively hot in some areas, and also massively wet in some. It might be an idea to let the climate dictate the area you choose to visit.... there must be somewhere where it%26#39;s dry in April and where the heat isn%26#39;t going to keep you holed up in your room! Ladakh, for instance, is below zero in December/January, but may be just warming up pleasantly by the time you go across.... and it%26#39;s a fascinating place!

My own opinion is that ';the best'; of India is Rajasthan; however, I don%26#39;t know what the temperature would be like in April; it was hard enough in November, so I fear the worst, and will not, therefore try to push you that way. But we loved that part of India so much that we%26#39;re taking our kids there this year... I applaud you for your decision to take yours on this first trip (we got ';cold feet'; at the last moment and left our two at home.... in retrospect, I think they would probably have had the time of their lives.)

India in April with 2 kids

Thanks Alan,

Everyone seems to recommend Rajestan so I guess we%26#39;d better research it. What do you recommend for sights and accomadation please? Any tips for eating well and not getting sick also appreciated!

South and central India in late April will be hot hot hot.We did Kolkata,to Delhi then to Agra, Orchna, Varanasi back to Delhi in April....35/45 degrees.Hot, hot , hot, boy did I mention it was hot?.

Change your time to Dec/Feb as it will be tough on the kids.You%26#39;ll be consuming litres of water,and rehydrating sachets every day.Easy to get dehydrated in that temperature as it is natural to not realize how much one needs to drink...and to replace all those salts and minerals sweated out.Pepsi or coca-cola are great if you don%26#39;t have rehydration sachets.

If you must go in April, do Rajastahn to the northern areas,Shimla is cool being higher up.

Or take an adventure from Delhi to Kathmandu.Cool there and a great time of year for Nepal.

check out www.gapadventurtes.com and hit their Dehli to Kathmandu tour to get an idea of the itinerary.

However you will have an amazing adventure.India with it%26#39;s contrasts of poverty and wealth will really stretch your senses but is very rewarding.Those kids will never complain about anything else when they get home.LOL.

The one place to avoid in April is Rajasthan. The heat is something like 40 degrees centrigrade in the afternoons. Even the mornings, except for 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. are hot, you can%26#39;t go out anywhere.

I%26#39;d recommend you try the Himalayas, there are great options in Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh etc. You could try any of the hill stations and cooler places. Please look up www.indianwanderers.com for an understanding of the Himalayan panorama. Late April is when the passes open and you can go for some interesting tours in the mountains.

By the way, personally, I think Rajasthan is a great place to see all the cliches about India come true. You know what I mean? Colourful costumes, forts, palaces, elephants, illiterate men and women, monkeys...every single Indian cliche in the book! I don%26#39;t like it much, but I can see the appeal.

- Deepa

Well, Ozzy Trave, Deepa is one person who knows exactly what he is talking about, so I guess it%26#39;s a ';given'; that Rajasthan in April is not your best choice (as I expected). Deepa, what am I going to find when I arrive there around September 3.... is it still too hot to step outside?

Anyway, do seriously have a look at Ladakh. We spent a couple of days in Leh on our last trip, and it was a place I would love to go back to. I have a feling the heat won%26#39;t be a problem in April... in fact, it may actually be still a bit too cold, as I think their tourist season is May to September.

But please do plan on a second trip sometime, and next time DO include Rajasthan!

No question-April-May would be worst possible time to visit central India-like Rajasthan-Agra-etc.See,if you can change the dates to Nov.-Feb. However,it is possible-the first time I tookmy wife to India-it was the summer, we did the Delhi-Agra-Jaipur-Udaipur-but after the site seeing we retired to comfortable hotels( I strongly recommend the Lake Palace hotel in the middle of a lake in Udaipur), and after this we took off for ten days in the Kashmir Valley-unfortunately, you cannot do that any more.