Travel Advice For Asia
Information on the Himalayas
Getting to the Himalayas
Pakistan: Most flights from European and Asian centres arrive in Karachi, though a few also go to Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Gwadar (Balochistan). Much more interesting is the overland route. A railway links Lahore with the Indian railway system through Amritsar, and another from Quetta crosses briefly into Iran. After the Grand Trunk Road, the most famous road into Pakistan is the Karakoram Highway, over the 4730m (15,514ft) Khunjerab Pass from Kashgar in China; roads also run from India and Iran. A bus service between Delhi and Lahore is also up and running.
India: India's major international airports are Mumbai (Bombay), Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta) and Chennai (Madras); there are other international airports at Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore and Kochi, although these service far fewer international flights. Delhi is one of the cheapest places to buy air tickets in India, as are Kolkata and Mumbai. International flights to neighbouring countries can be good value, especially between Kolkata and Dhaka (Bangladesh), Delhi and Karachi (Pakistan) and Tiruchirappalli and Colombo (Sri Lanka). Departure tax is included in 99% of all tickets.
The most popular overland routes between India and Nepal are Birganj-Raxaul Bazaar, Sunauli-Bhairawa and Kakarbhitta-Siliguri. If you're heading from Kathmandu or Pokhara to Delhi or elsewhere in northwestern India, then Sunauli is the most convenient entry point; to reach Kolkata or most of eastern India, Birganj is the best place to cross the border; and to get to Darjeeling, it's easiest to go via Kakarbhitta. It's fairly easy to travel between Kolkata and Dhaka overland. The only border crossing currently open between India and Pakistan is at Attari between Lahore and Amritsar. This and all other border crossings are by road only.
Nepal: There are few direct flights to Nepal, which means most travellers from Europe, North America and Australia have to change aircraft and/or airline en route. Nepal's only international airport is Kathmandu's Tribhuvan Airport - several airlines fly here with a stop in western Europe or the Gulf, or you can fly into India and change to a local shuttle. If you want to see the mountains as you fly into Kathmandu, make sure you sit on the right-hand side of the plane. The departure tax for international flights is Rs1695.00 ,, or Rs1356.00 to destinations on the Indian subcontinent, payable in Nepali rupees.
The classic overland routes between Nepal and India are still popular. Buses are usually the quickest and easiest form of transport between Nepal and India. There are five main crossing points that are open to foreigners, but most people cross at Sunauli-Bhairawa, Birganj-Raxaul Bazaar or Kakarbhitta-Panitanki. The Sunauli border crossing is convenient for Varanasi or Delhi, the Birganj crossing is convenient for Kolkata, and Kakarbhitta is the obvious choice for Darjeeling or Sikkim. A trickle of travellers enter Nepal at the Mahendrenagar-Banbassa border crossing in the extreme west of Nepal, which is handy for Delhi and the hills of Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh. The crossing between Nepal and Tibet via Kodari is open to organised groups but not to individual travellers heading north. Be prepared to make alternative plans if using this route - landslides regularly make it impassable during the monsoon.