NOTE: This is not a guide on what you need to pack for India, these are travel tips on maximising your experience.

So you’ve finally taken the plunge and decided to pack your bags for India.

You’re not like the free-flowing hemp-gowned foreigners you’ll breeze past at most sites across the country; you’ve probably got precious few weeks off from the daily grind. When you get back you’ve probably not got more than a day or two to recover before you’re straight back into work.

So with the time you have you want to see as much as humanly possible as time allows; and you’re almost willing to sacrifice your sanity to achieve it. Once you start doing your research on different parts of India, the more time you realize you’re going to need to see it all. If you’re going to Rajahstan there’s so many parts to it – from the Pink City Jaipur out to Pushkar and Ajmer, from there you’ll surely want to catch Mehrangarh Fort at Johdpur, ride a Camel in Jasailmer, move up along further into Desert Country up in Bikaner, or duck back around Udaipur, Mount Abu, secluded Bundi and maybe catch sight of a Tiger at Ranthambore National Park. And then you’ll want to squeeze in the Taj Mahal surely as well.

If it’s Kerala then you’ll want to make sure you can spare enough time to explore Tea Country around Munnar, Wildlife at Periyar, the extensive beaches of Varkala and Kollam, and a Backwaters Cruise in Allepey. You’ll probably be sorely tempted to explore North Kerala, the untapped state of Karanataka (Hampi, Coorg), and the Temples on the East Coast.

Once you start exploring other areas such as Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Assam/Sikkhim you’ll find yourself wanting to soak in as much as possible.

The truth is of course, that trying to see too much in India will spoil the experience. India is a very, very full on place and will require a great deal of your energy and patience. The other key point here is that you are far more likely to remember a qualitative experience where you’re able to absorb each place to its fullest rather than trying to tick off checkpoints – I have outlined a number of Tips below that I think will help you make key decisions that will ultimately improve your experience and allow you (and your partner/family) to have an unforgettable holiday.

1. Less is More

The first key-point naturally is that less is more when traveling India. With a state like Rajahstan, there are multiple experiences to be had all over – from palaces, forts and ruins to deserts, wildlife, and spectacular nature. When making plans, consider some of the sights you’d really like to see and allow yourselves a few days in each town. Due to the chaotic nature of India’s roads and urban areas, you may burn one day off in travel, one day seeing the sights, and the next day recovering by the Pool side in your resort. If that’s the way you do it then that’s truly the best way. Too many travelers try to squeeze in too much in 14-16 days – such an itinerary might look like this:

  • Golden Triangle: Delhi 2 nights, Agra 2 nights, Jaipur 1 night.
  • Greater Rajahstan: Ajmer/Pushkar 2 nights, Johdpur 2 nights, Jaisalamer 2 nights, Mount Abu 1 night, Udaipur 2 nights, Bundi 2 nights, Ranthambore 2 nights

Not to mention maybe trying to squeeze in Bikaner and a few other places. It’s too damn much… you will blow a head-gasket somewhere around Johdpur and end up in a sorry state until you can drag yourself back to Delhi International.

Travellers who have 3-4 weeks will often try to squeeze in sites like Varanasi, Khajuraho, Orrcha etc which is also pushing it bit much.

The best thing to do would be slow things down substantially, and enjoy the atmosphere and culture of each place with time – India is a manic country, don’t try to hard to keep pace. An ideal itinerary with 14-16 days would look more like this:

  • Jaipur – 2 nights, Bundi – 3-4 nights, Udaipur + Mount Abu – 5 nights, Johdpur 2 nights, Jasailmer – 3 nights.

This way you’re giving yourself a great deal of time to export one major segment of the state, not trying to checkpoint from place to place. Naturally, you can apply this type of time-management to other areas you’d like to travel.

2. Book Your Accommodation Before You Go

Many people don’t bother booking hotels and other accommodation before traveling around the world. There’s something magical about traversing the Italian coast or French countryside and pulling up to a quaint looking Chalet or Winery homestay and docking in for the night. It’s not so straightforward in India.

If you decide to hire a Car with a Driver, he (or the company) will have many ideas on the best places to stay at each town. This is because the hotels he’ll drive you too will give him and his employer commissions – the price you pay will probably be higher and you may be disappointed with the service quality as well. If you don’t have a driver, and decide to do trains and then taxis, you’ll still probably find yourself being harassed into something you didn’t ask for. The best thing to do then in both situations is book your accommodation before you go. Websites like Tripadvisor are pretty accurate and knowledgeable in what’s available, and it saves you driving around competing for the best price for hours (you can literally kill more than half a day doing this) until you settle on the right one.

From experience, online prices with resorts (and even respectful guesthouses, B&B’s and Homestays) will offer similar prices to their cash-rate upon entrance. If there is a difference, it’s not usually much more than what you’d pay once converted to rupees – after all, India is a much cheaper country to travel than others. Naturally, if you have loads of time to burn by all means compete for the best option until you find it.

3. Variety is Key

Too many people who travel Rajahstan make it a point to fill up their entire holiday with Forts and Palaces. Too many people traveling South India focus purely on Beaches or Tea Gardens. The thing is, no matter how amazing something is if you experience it over and over again it will begin to lose it’s charm.

India has lots of different things to offer in the same regions so why not have a greater deal of variety? In Rajahstan maybe only dedicate 2-3 cities max on forts/ruins/palaces, and mix it up with a visit to one of the many Wildflife Sanctuaries, there are also some fantastic experiences to be had out in the Thar desert with camel-riding, horse-riding in Udaipur and elephants in Jaipur. In Kerala make sure you can mix up backwaters with beaches, tea-gardens, hikes, waterfalls, wildlife and maybe even a Tribal Homestay.

3. Self-Drive vs Trains

Trains are an incredible way to get around India, but there are a few things to consider with train travel. Firstly, they can often be delayed for stretches of time. Secondly, while the journey itself might be nice actually carrying luggage to and from each station can be tiresome as they’re often large and busy, with loads of steps to climb up and down (with not an elevator in sight). The other thing is you’ll likely need to organise a driver/taxi in each city to catch all the landmarks (again; urban bus travel is only for the time-wealthy), which can be quite expensive especially when dealing with the Hotel.

With shorter time periods like 2-3 weeks, it might actually be better to hire a car and drive for the entire time. I’ve found the financial balance between trains/taxi’s vs self-drive is actually quite similar at the end so you may as well travel in comfort and stability. As mentioned previously, the key here is booking your accommodation before hiring the car. Speak with the car rental company and work through your itinerary and the resorts you’ve booked. Even doing some key research on the sites you’d like to visit at each city will save frustrating trips to gift/tourist shops that some drivers are known to have deals with.

Just remember at all times that is your trip and not to be messed with by anyone – make it clear with your driver or taxi the places you’d like to go and save yourself a world of hassle.

4. Avoid Crowds

When planning your holiday, realize that many of the tourist destinations in India are overcrowded – places like Delhi and Mumbai are quite simply oppressive, and tourist zones in Rajahstan and Kerala are well-trodden by both Indian and Foreigners alike. In order to see some of the best landmarks, you’ll have no choice but to traverse through the dense urban areas – but you do have the option of combining this with some quieter rural experiences.

One truth that I haven’t read much on the Internet is this – Indians all go to the same tourist destinations because they are known to them. If a hill-station, temple or waterfall is packed out with people then that is a fantastic thing; it means that the place must be a very good place to visit. Drivers and even tour-guides apply this logic with foreigners as well. While there is a truth to this reasoning (see the lines at the Taj, but then witness the Taj) – it can make for a highly irritating experience as thousands and thousands of locals and salesmen can spoil the mood (and litter the surroundings).

One rule of thumb when looking at a destination is firstly to research what’s popular, and then look at the surrounding regions to experience a quieter, more authentic place. If you’re interested in Ooty; consider Coonoor or Kotagiri. If you’re thinking Backwaters in Allepey, consider Kumarakom or even Valiyaparamba in North Kerala. If you’re thinking Nainital or Mussoori in Uttarakhand – consider Almora, Kausani and Askote. If you’re going places like Udaipur and Jaipur, look a little outside of the main town – an extra 20 minutes or so in a taxi will be worth the peace of mind you’ll receive when you get back from the town sites at the end of each day.

5. Start Heavy and Finish Light

As mentioned previously, India is intense right? Therefore it’s best to get the most physically demanding experiences out of the way in the first part of the Holiday. It’s always nicer planning a holiday where you do all the tough stuff first so you can relax later.

If you’re planning to do the Golden Triangle, do that first as you’ll be confronted with millions of locals, swarms of tourists and enough car horns to give you nightmares for weeks. You will see some incredibly rewarding stuff that you’ll have to work hard for, but the knowledge that you might be able to relax later in the trip will keep you going. If you’re doing something incredibly draining like that, consider finishing up in relaxing destinations such as McLeoud Ganj/Dalhousie in the North, Bundi in Rajahstan, Wayanad/Varkala in Kerala or Palolem/Gokarna around Goa.

If you’ve got the cash consider a flight out to the Andamans or Lakshwadeep off Kerala and finish off in style.

6. Understand You’re Visiting a Third-World Country

I think society is finally progressing to a point where romanticizing the humble poverty of third-world countries is no longer viable. ‘Eat Pray Love’ in the early nineties would’ve had clusters of depressed housewives scurry off to Jaipur to find themselves, I’m not sure if the same thing would occur now (at least not in such great number).

India is the second most populated country on earth, and there are huge issues with pollution. When you get there, it might seem like every glorious picture you’ve seen online was actually captured at a time when all the trash blew just of frame for half a second. OK, that might be an exaggeration but it’s still very bad. Head out on the backwaters of Kerala and you’ll see it – you’ll also see it around old Palaces and Forts like the Taj and the Amber Fort. Worst of all, you’ll be lining up at the Jagganath Temple in Odisha (one of the holiest temples in India) and you’ll see empty soft-drink cans carelessly tossed half a foot from the queue.

Unfortunately this is a simple reality in India; and the price we all pay for living in an uneven world. You will still be mesmerized by gloriously man-made structures, you will witness incredible bird, animal and plant life and you’ll also meet many people that you won’t ever forget. Just remember that your perfect kodak moments might not come as rapidly as you’d hope, but when they do they’ll be the best ones you’ve ever captured.

 

Conclusion

I feel these little strands of advice will get you through your first trip in India. Quite simply, it can all be summed up as:

  • Take it easy and immerse yourself in each location for a few days at a stretch.
  • Be well prepared, book your accommodation in advance and have an idea of how you want to get around.
  • Avoid big crowded areas for too long and accept the fact there’s going to be a lot of pollution and hassle in areas.
  • Finish your holiday off relaxed and rejuvinated