Kolkata (SE India) to Kathmandu
 

Was just thinking about popping over for a look around and interested to see if anyone has any thoughts. it is just in the planning so need to make a decision within a few weeks.

Air Asia Gold Coast to Kolkata 15th Dec, return from Kathmandu 5th Jan. 3 weeks.

This would be a solo (no family and i haven't told wife yet) trip so back packing, public transport, bike, truck whatever just need to be a Kathmandu a few days before the flight. could do 7-8 days India then Nepal????

I would like to do some bike riding over there but not 100% necessary. as a rough measurement it is 800k but lets just say 1000k.

a few days on a bike would be good so has anyone been up near there?? Eastern Nepal across to Kathmandu or through India to the Border at Birgunj then up to Kathmandu.

any ideas or pointers would be good. is the Altitude hard to handle is it still a problem after the earth quake??

thanks Allan

?c?

Kolkata
 

i received a reply from a bike shop Kolkata suggesting ride up from Kolkata to Darjeeling and crossing over to Nepal.

has anyone gone this way???

I went that way a few years ago and it was a good route, recommended.

Darjeeling to Kathmandu
 

A quick plan is a good plan.

Flights booked, some accommodation book and initial planning of most of the route done. but i can change things to suit if something changes.
Solo bike trip from Kolkata to Darjeeling and across to Kathmandu.

If anyone has gone this way Darjeeling to Kathmandu) or close to it, if you know of stuff to look at, villages to stay in, the good, the bad, the ugly, fuel stops, etc etc.. it's going to be the start of winter but should be dry.

I have 3 months to plan the rest of the details but i would appreciate comments.
16th December land Kolkata (Calcutta) India 4am. 2 days look around here.
18th, 19th, 20th travel north through India close to the border of Bangladesh to the base of the Mountains and up to Kalimpong (near Dajeeling).

21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th (christmas in Darjeeling) i have a hotel in Kalimpong and a hotel in Darjeeling booked for a couple of nights each. looking and riding around this area.

26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st travel across to Kathmandu. There is a border crossing near Darjeeling at Simana Basti then down road to the Bridge at Mai Khola, up to Ilam, then there seems to good road or tracks on the way to Yasok Bazar.

what i am unsure about is the part from Yasok Bazar west to the river crossing at Ghurmi, Sunkoshi river, then it is along the main rd. i have marked a placed called Sindhuwa Bazar which is west of Yasok Bazar?????

The last 100klm to Kathmandu is easy with the highway and good roads so if i need to i can move a good pace over this bit.

1st, 2nd, 3rd around Kathmandu looking at stuff and going for a day hike. i have booked a hotel in Kathmandu close to the centre of town (i think) for $12.75 per night including breakfast.
4th at 2100hours fly home.

That sound like a good route, it is good to know where you will stay on arrival and at times like Christmas but I tend to make it up as I go along. I cannot remember anything in particular going that way but just travelling in India particularly on a bike is special in itself. Plenty of town and petrol stations along the way, just fill up every 100km or so and you should have a problem.

when i looked at hotels in Darjeeling last week the were a couple more cheap hotels with vacancies but now are booked out so i booked places to be sure i had something.

paying from $12.75 a night to about $25 a night.

after leaving Yasok Bazar i don't have anything booked but seems to be at least a barn to share with a Yak.

Darjeeling has loads of accommodation. Unless you're going up there on a holiday or in peak season, I wouldn't worry too much about booking ahead. Maybe prices have changed since four years ago, but you could get some fantastic rooms for 500/800 INR. Budget would be around 200.

i had a bit of a look but being Christmas i didn't want to take the chance.

happy to $20 per night for this at Kalimpong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h13crQcKmFY

Andy from india bikes 1A - HIRE RENT, LEASE, ROYAL ENFIELD CLASSIC MOTORCYCLES IN INDIA - MUMBAI, NEW DELHI, GOA & KOLKATA, EXPORT RESTORED ENFIELDS has indicated hire of top of the line Royal Enfield 500 classic efis, pick up Kolkata and drop off Kathmandu.

I have seen some videos of riders taking all sorts of bikes on the back roads and i don't plan to be treating it as a hard enduro so this should be fine??

just a quick question if anyone can help.

what about the money to have in india and nepal Rupee and Rupee, completely different???

is there any sort of ATM in the bigger towns??

Indian and Nepalese Rupee are not the same and ATMs in most towns in India, take a few Pounds, Euros or Dollars cash to change at the Nepal border.

Hi Mark thanks for that. AUD $$ or US$$

the next question i have is the visas for travel to india and nepal.

did you do the visas on these sites or different??

https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html

Embassy of Nepal - Passport, Visa & Other services

thanks Allan

I have not used that particular site for an Indian visa but it has been a couple of years since I was there, the last time I arrived in Nepal which was from China I got a visa on arrival at the border.
Not sure how acceptable Aussie Dollars are but a couple of hundred US Dollars in new or good condition mixed notes of not more than $50 denomination is always useful.

i hope to get to this road up in the Nathang Valley if it hasn't started t snow.

The bike indicated by Andy from India Bikes is an Enfield Classic 500 (Jul 2013), this bikes seems to be good???