India or Nepal trekking in May?
I'll be taking a trip to India at the end of April from Canada. I'll be visiting Mumbai for a week for a friend's wedding. Afterwards, my schedule is pretty flexible. I was thinking of also taking a two-week trip to Japan before I go home on June 12. So this gives me a solid 3-4 weeks after May 1st to explore India or Nepal.
My original plan was to work my way up north through India, visiting the sites along the way (Aurangabad, Udaipur, Jaipur, Agra, Delhi). From what I've been reading, India is ridiculously hot in the summer which might make this trip a lot less enjoyable.
So instead, I was thinking of trekking in either India or Nepal. At first I was looking at Leh and Ladakh, specifically the Markha Valley trek, but I read that in early May, the weather is still too cold for trekking (for example, the highway is closed until June). So I'm not sure this would be a reasonable trip, though I'm certainly open to any other treks in India.
I was also thinking of going to Nepal for trekking. Two treks which looked appealling to me were the Annapurna and Manaslu Circuits. I've read that Annapurna is the longer of the two, and also the more famous one. I also read that Annapurna starts to get rainy in May which might make trekking less enjoyable. My understanding is that Manaslu is more "off the beaten path."
I'd definitely prefer a trek which allows staying in guesthouses rather than camping. I'm also concerned about getting lonely on the road, so being able to meet other travelers is also a plus.
So, I'm trying to plan my trip and I have a lot of questions:
What would it be like to travel around India in May? Would the heat ruin it for me?
For trekking, which of the above treks (Markha Valley, Annapurna, Manaslu) would be best, if I set out in the beginning of May? Can anyone recommend any other treks? There seem to be millions of treks out there so recommendations would definitely be handy.
I've read that they opened a highway near the Annapurna circuit which some have said makes it a worse trek. I'm not exactly sure what this entails. Does this mean the trek involves walking along the highway? Does this ruin the experience?
Guides: for the above treks, would I need one? Would I want one?
Gear: I don't have all of the recommended trekking gear right now. For example, I don't have any wooly base layers or a Lifestraw. What gear would I expect to need, and would it be better to buy it there or here in Canada?
I've seen that the Annapurna Circuit can be done in 17-21 days. Why the range? Is time reduced because of skipping some parts, or just walking faster?
Lastly, is it easy to meet other travelers on the trek? :)
Any and all advice would be appreciated!
Submitted March 24, 2018 at 10:11PM by lemontops https://ift.tt/2pDGzQp
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