Hot or Spicy? Indian food is “Spicy”, where Spicy means not only hot, but rather spicy. Of course, the hot chilli taste is always part of Indian cuisine. Depending on the region, the dish, and the chef, it can be used very generously, making us non-Indians flush, numb our taste buds, and make us sweat. […]
Here in India, too, no one from the travel industry expected that the Corona Pandemic would last a full two years and thus paralyze all international tourism. A trip to India was simply not possible for a whole year and a half, because no tourist visas were issued and all long-term tourist visas were declared […]
In the January 13th article ” Holidays in the Andaman – 12 recommendations for the islands of Neil and Havelock ” I already share some information about the beautiful group of islands in the Andaman Sea. Today it is supposed to be very specific about diving on Havelock Islands and Neil Islands. Because who would […]
The mountainous state of Uttarakhand for me Having lived in Manali for many years and now based in Shimla, I know the mountainous state of Himalchal Pradesh fairly well and have never really been drawn to its southeastern neighbor Uttarakhand. Until recently, I only knew this region in northern India from occasional visits. My first […]
After my one-week stay in the Andaman Islands, a group of islands in the Bay of Bengal, India has once again proven how diverse it is. Even a luxurious island vacation with dream beaches and crystal clear sea water is possible without leaving the borders of India. The Andamans belong to the Indian Union Territory […]
Assam is one of the “Seven Sisters” who make up the northeastern tip of India and the topographical center of this region, with all other six states bordering Assam. While its neighboring states are hilly to mountainous, Assam is largely flat due to the Brahmaputra and the Barak valley. The 78,438 km² state with its […]
Notes and guidelines Having the opportunity to visit an Indian family during a stay in India is a great experience and provides a deeper insight into the culture and way of life of the Indians than just traveling as a tourist. Indian culture is completely different and this is also reflected in some of the […]
Finally the time has come! After a nearly two-year India entry ban for international tourists, India opens its borders again. From October 15, 2021, travel to India will be open for package tour groups and from November 15, 2021, finally for individual travelers. The first 500000 electronic visas (e-visas) will be issued free of charge. […]
Illness or even a visit to a hospital or doctor is certainly not part of the vacation planning. But especially when it comes to countries like India, one should at least take certain health measures while preparing for the trip and at least not rule out a possible illness. Even if the standard of living […]
Excerpt from the article “Highest post office in Europe and the one in the world” by Gerhard Freund, published in the Berner Briefmarkenzeitung The Hikkim post office in India is at 4,440 m Hikkim is a village in the district of Lahaul and Spiti in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and lies at […]
A few tips for entering India 1) On the plane Small cards are often handed out during the flight itself, in which personal information (name, passport number), flight number, an Indian address and a telephone number are to be filled in. It makes sense to fill in this note in advance, so that you can […]
Multi Aktive Trip Kerala The Multi Active Trip in Kerala is created for an active holiday: mountains, sea, the backwaters and lots of greenery in the form of national parks, primeval forests, spice and tea plantations. […]
There is hardly a worse thing than not getting one’s money while on holiday in a foreign country. The fact that you can be in India quite quickly without money can happen very quickly: either the machine is empty, you have reached your credit card limit, the credit card is not accepted or, or, or! […]
You want to make your trip to India very special and not just follow the beaten tourist paths? Do you want to experience India as it is and get in touch with the people on the outskirts? Do you love nature and like to move? Then these 5 travel tips are perfect for you to make […]
Pretty much exactly 4 years ago I spent a night in Sri Lanka: I flew from Bangalore to Colombo, went through emigration, slept for a few hours at the airport and flew back to Cochin in Kerala the next morning. The so-called visa run was necessary. With my former tourist visa I was not allowed […]
What once started in Delhi with the agency “Delhibycycle” is now offered in various Indian cities: Guided bike tours, usually in the early morning hours for about 2 to 3 hours in length, often with included snacks or even a breakfast. Anyone who knows me and my travels, knows that I like to incorporate many […]
In India, the motorcycle has a completely different meaning than in Germany. While in Germany the motorcycling is rather a hobby and the bike usually only carries a summer license plate and is used for special excursions and trips, the motorized two-wheeler in India is much more used as a commercial vehicle and mode of […]
You really don’t want to lose your passport during your long-distance journey, but it can happen and then it’s good to know what to do. The most important thing: Don’t lose your head. Losing your passport is not nice anywhere in the world, not even in India. Especially since you will unfortunately lose one or […]
This June I was finally able to put into practice my long-cherished desire to explore the mountain regions of Spiti and Kinnaur by bicycle. My boyfriend David played a big role in this: passionate mountain biker and adventurer and also fire and flame for this tour. While I have often travelled from Manali to Spiti […]
During the seven-day yoga trek in the Hamta Valley near Manali in the Indian Himalayas, I had to stop every now and then to look into the mountain landscape, take a deep breath and realize what I was doing here! I was on a seven-day trekking tour. In India. In the Himalayas. In the best […]
India – a big country with many highlights Although I have been living in India for almost ten years now, I have still not been able to discover the whole of India. Very often I return to places that I particularly liked, or I travel with my tour groups, whereby my guests usually travel on […]
Your trip to India is imminent? From Europe to India you fly for at least 7 hours, depending on the route. Such a long time on a plane can be quite exhausting. That’s why we have some valuable tips for you to make your journey by plane as pleasant as possible! […]
From time to time you read in the news: India. Mass rape. Men’s dominant. Risk for women travelling alone. (More on this topic can be read here and here). At the same time, however, I and so many other women from all over the world feel a great interest in the exotic subcontinent. […]
A wonderful report by Elke, who travelled India with the help of Chalo!Travels. She stayed in a Yoga Ashram in Rishikesh and did a Yoga Trek in the Himalayas. This beautiful writing deserves a place on the Chalo! Travels Blog. Dirty, noisy. I cannot stand the sight of this extreme poverty. These are some of […]
About Arunachal A mountain bike stage race is something special in itself. If it takes place in India, such an event will be quite special. But a seven-day mountain bike race through the far-flung northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh probably tops everything! […]
The very special Christmas present for and with your loved ones: A Chalo! Travels -Travel voucher for an India trip of your choice or an amount of your choice. This is what the Christmas gift voucher could look like – it can of course be changed with matching pictures as desired. And as a small […]
Namaste lovely Chalo! Travels friends, I’ve been in India for five weeks now and I can report a lot. I have experienced many things and have gone through ups and downs. In India, holidays are until July and this is particularly noticeable on the roads in the mountains. The beautiful landscape with the relatively cool […]
This beautiful Chalo! Travels Newsletter was written this month by Gracy, our new intern, and I thought I’d post it on our blog right away. Have fun reading, Sarah A cheerful hello to the round of India enthusiasts, my name is Gacy, I come from lively Berlin and now live in India for half a […]
Since we have some groups for popular nine-day mountain biking tour on the 470 km long Manali-Leh Highway this Summer, it seems appropriate to give some suggestions for preparation and hints for the tour. […]
Amelie and Marlies are not only two very ambitious sportswomen, but also very adventurous travellers. Together they have been travelling almost all over the world. While Marlies is active in outdoor sports such as trail running, mountaineering, mountain biking and climbing, Amelie is an active triathlete and trains almost every day. […]
I myself came to India through a year of volunteering with a non-profit organisation in Delhi. Freshly graduated from high school as a 19-year-old, this year was an incisive experience and a very instructive but also enriching time for me. India is a beautiful country with wonderful people. But despite the emerging country’s increasing progress, […]
A report about my three-week stay at Arambol beach Among the 50 beaches in Goa there is the right one for each of us : there are the beaches for package tourists in Baga and Calangute with large luxurious hotels. Then there are relatively natural fishermen beaches like Benaulim without big parties but with water […]
“A guest post by Lisa, who started her trip to India with a trek in the Himalayas with Chalo! Travels. Lisa did a yoga teacher training at Shri Jasnath Ashram, a small ashram in Rajasthan where Chalo-Travels offers yoga and Ayurveda retreats and Sarah teaches as a yoga teacher. In addition, Sarah met Lisa again […]
November Calendar Sheet No. 11 The Himalayas, the highest mountain range in the world. Snow-capped peaks, raging mountain rivers, deep forests, traditional mountain villages, herds of sheep, moon-like desert landscapes, furrowed glaciers, colourful flower meadows. All this are the Himalayas and so much more. […]
5 rules that allow you to survive on Indian roads If you land in India at the airport in one of the big Indian metropolises Delhi, Mumbai and Co., the first adventure will be the taxi ride to the hotel. In the taxi itself, at least in the rear seats, there are no belts and […]
In the Spiti Valley everything is high. The lowest point is at 3000 meters, everything else is higher: villages, passes, mountains, monasteries… […]
The Indian Himalayas are high, huge and not inhabited for large parts. On trekking or mountain tours, you often meet no human soul for days, except for a few shepherds. Villages can usually only be found at the start and end points of the trekking tours. And even here you will mostly not find a […]
An insight into the Rajasthani village life India is noisy, polluted, overcrowded with lots of traffic, unbearable poor and too many men are around. If you travel from an Indian city to another Indian city, India can make a bad impression. But India’s charms lie much less in India’s overcrowded cities than in its rural […]
I am always very happy about a trip to the green state of Kerala, which is located at the southernmost tip of India. Here, in the so-called “land of coconuts” and christened by the Indians as “God’s own land”, one not only travels in a relaxed way, but there is also an incredible amount to […]
March Calendar Sheet No. 3 We sit comfortably in our chairs on the “balcony” of our small floating home for the next 24 hours and enjoy the fresh coconut water while we ship peacefully through the small channels of the backwaters. […]
Animal Watching in India Of course, encountering animals in their natural habitat is not comparable to a visit to the zoo. […]
I met Louise in a yoga ashram in Rajasthan, where she lived with her small family for a few months as a karma yogi. I was curious and asked Louise to share her experience about being in India with her three-year-old Matilda and to give us some hints about travelling with a child in India. […]
January Calendar Sheet Nr. 1 This Christmas I gifted my grandparents an “India calendar” with photos of my travels. To each photo I will be add story every month during this year. I would also like to share these stories with you. And here is the first story of the January calendar sheet: It’s 6:30 […]
A Rajasthan round trip with your own driver It’s August. Despite the monsoon season, it is hot. Here in the middle of nowhere in the Tharr desert between Jaisalmer and Jodhpur in Rajasthan. But we don’t notice anything from the 35°C in our Innova Toyota. We sit in the vehicle, let the desert landscape pass […]
Note: By now few things changed: The Dalai Lama is now more frequently to be seen, as he is retired Sanghey is not teaching Momo making classes anymore, but you can find other teachers having a poster up. Or why not trying it out your self To camp in Triund in a fixed camp is […]
Here is another guest post from me. This time on the topic of travelling with children in India on Julia’s blog TravellingKinder. In the article you can read about my opinion about travelling with children in India and how best to travel with the little ones through the big subcontinent. Read here an article from […]
Julley is the magic word in the northern Indian region of Ladakh. Translated, it means “Hello”, “Goodbye”, “Thank you” and “Please”. With this simple word you get through in the high mountain desert of Ladakh quite well. Everywhere you are illuminated by Ladakh faces and a “Julley” is shouted at you. […]
In two weeks through northern India as a backpacker Admittedly, two weeks for India isn’t really much and you won’t see everything of northern India in the two weeks. But let’s be honest: even I (and I’ve been living in India for over six years by now) haven’t visited all corners of India yet. But […]
Another mountain ascent Due to illness, unfortunately, our planned seven-day trek over the Parangla Pass (5600 m) from the Spiti valley to Ladakh got canceled! The trek was supposed to start from the 4200 meter high village Kibber, but our guests unfortunately just didn’t feel comfortable with fever and cold and decided to drive directly […]
In two weeks through the Indian desert state with palaces, camel, yoga and interesting encounters Rajasthan is the main destination, along with Agra and Delhi, for many Western travellers. In fact, the great desert state, with its impressive stories of Maharajas and Mughal kings, can be traced back while visiting the mighty forts and magnificent […]
