With a population that has just topped one billion, India bursts at the seams with a melange of cultures to match the magnitude of its sheer numbers. Birthplace of three of the world’s oldest religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism—the nation today accommodates countless others and struggles to maintain its secular facade. For the traveler venturing forth into this grandest of cultural confluences, India is both challenging—at times even threatening—and rewarding. This is not a country simply to observe; India demands reaction. From the moment you deplane, your senses will be assaulted by the myriad sights, sounds, and smells that characterize India. The sublime beauty of its natural vistas and towering temples are as likely to overwhelm as the ubiquitous smells of dirt, dust, and dung. Paan stains the city streets, tilak powder dusts the temple walls, the odor of freshly caught fish permeates the seaside air, and traffic horns could honk you out of your senses. But the magical mosques and minarets, the quick and spicy meal in a roadside dhaba, and the early morning chiming of temple bells make the journey into the subcontinent well worth it.

From the world’s highest peaks to some of its greenest valleys, Nepal is a country that has been shaped by its geography. Ridges and rivers split the land into small pockets of tillable earth, networked by roads that connect its Indian-influenced Hindu lowlands to its Tibetan-influenced Buddhist highlands—a cultural transition marked by the geographical barriers that separate the regions. Every romantic ideal you ever envisioned about the Himalayan kingdom is fulfilled in the country’s political and social center, the Kathmandu Valley. While a milder version of India in many ways, Nepal also presents challenges to the traveler—harrowing bus rides, persistent touts, and cow-dung obstructed streets. A closed kingdom isolated from the world until 1951, Nepal now greets both hippies and hikers with open arms and a lot of style.

An open mind and a healthy dose of patience are your best innoculations against the travails of travel in the subcontinent. So, don a pair of non-leather sandals, brush up on those non-verbal communication skills, grab some anti-diarrhea medication, and get ready to roll.

INDIA FACTS & FIGURES

Official Name: Republic of India
Capital: New Delhi (10.1 million)
Population: 1 billion
Land Area: 3,287,590 sq. km
Highest Point: Kanchenjunga, 8598m
Languages: Hindi & English, plus 14 official languages and over 700 dialects
Religions: 80% Hindu, 14% Muslim
Average Income Per Capita: US$350

INDIA FACTS & FIGURES

Official Name: Kingdom of Nepal
Capital: Kathmandu (700,000)
Population: 23 million
Land Area: 147,181 sq. km
Highest Point: Everest, 8848m
Languages: Nepali, plus 20 other major languages and numerous dialects
Religions: 90% Hindu, 5% Buddhist
Average Income Per Capita: US$165

WHEN TO VISIT

Temperatures and climate in India range from the temperate regions of the North to the tropical monsoon of the South. During the monsoon—which refers not to a single event, but to a series of storms—it downpours most days, although the afternoon sun will emerge occasionally and steam things up—mountain views, however, remain perpetually obscured. The two major monsoons hit the southwest and northeast coasts in late May or early June. They advance inward over the next two months, dumping water on most of India except the Himalayan foothills and the deep South. The monsoon wanes in September, beginning India’s cool season, although it takes a few more months for the Deccan plateau to dry up. Winter is the best time to visit India, although some find the Indian hills too chilly—spring and autumn are the most popular times to go. Few good things last forever, though, and by February, heat begins building up across the plains. April, May, and June can be suicidally hot, with temperatures of over 45°C(110°F). After a few weeks of downright unbearable weather (dust and lightening storms are commonplace) the rains come again, and the cycle repeats.

Most tourists visit Nepal in the autumn (Oct.-Nov.), when the countryside is fresh, the temperatures are mild, the air is clear, and the mountains are visible. The dry, clean air also makes autumn a great time for trekking. Spring is also a good time to visit: flowers are in bloom in the hills, the days are longer, and temperatures are a little warmer than in the autumn. Winter is probably the worst time to go to Nepal: snow covers ground over 2000-3000m, and even Kathmandu gets damp and cold. April to June (pre-monsoon) gets hot and dusty, especially in the Terai, although temperatures at higher elevations are more bearable, but the haze eclipses the mountains. The monsoon descends from late June to September. While most of the country is cloud-cast and beset with downpours, western Nepal, largely in rainshadow, is drier. Although the land greens visibly during the monsoon, there are some drawbacks: roads wash out, flights get cancelled, and leeches become your closest companions on trekking routes.