5 tips for India first-timers

Nov 3, 2011 6:47:47 AM

Daniel McCrohan
Lonely Planet Author

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Chaotic, bamboozling, intoxicating, crazy, exasperating, squalid, daunting, overwhelming. India is all these things, and more. How can you possibly prepare yourself?

Start with our tips for taking the ultimate travel plunge: going to India for the first time.

1. Choose your route wisely

Think about what interests you, what you like doing, and tailor your trip accordingly. The itineraries section at the front of Lonely Planet India can be a great help here.

The most popular India tour is the all-time classic Golden Triangle. Clichéd, yes, but if time is short this is a fantastic introduction to three of India’s very best destinations. Start in Delhi (Hamayun’s Tomb, Old Fort) before hitting Agra (Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri) then Jaipur (Pink City, fort at Amber). Head back to Delhi’s wonderful bazaars for a final shopping spree before you fly home.

And if you have more specific interests:

Shopping - Delhi
Beaches - Goa
Trekking - Himachal Pradesh
Yoga - Rishikesh
Food – everywhere!
Tigers - Madhya Pradesh
Thrill-seekers - Manali
Religious fervour - Varanasi
Just chilling - Kerala

2. Slow down

Too many people try to cram too much into a visit to India. Don’t be one of them. Seeing one place slowly is so much more rewarding than seeing many places in a flash. You’ll be less stressed, gain a deeper understanding of where you are and have more time to build relationships with the people you meet.

3. Avoid the crowds

One billion locals gets a bit too much for some travellers, but India also has plenty of quiet retreats. If you need to escape the crowds in the sprawling cities, consider heading south to the backwaters of Kerala, north to Tibetan-influenced mountainous regions such as Ladakh or paying a visit to one of India’s many hill stations.

4. Stay healthy

Avoid tap water, and any food that may have been washed in it, at all times. No ice, no salads and no fruit you haven’t just peeled yourself.

Many travellers go veggie whilst in India. It’s not a bad idea. A dodgy bit of meat will do you a lot more harm than slightly undercooked vegetables. Plus, many Indians are vegetarian, so there’s a fabulous choice of vegetarian food. If you do eat meat, make sure it’s well cooked. If in doubt, eat at a place that’s packed with locals.

Toilets are notoriously bad in India, but they don’t have to be health hazards. Consider using the left-hand-and-water-jug method preferred by many locals (it is, after all, so much more hygienic than using dry paper), but don’t forget to carry soap with you so you can wash your hands properly afterwards.

5. Keep cool

India is renowned for its touts and scams, for its in-yer-face hassles and for being generally bloody hectic. There are various ways you can reduce the chances of being overcharged or just plain cheated (see scams in India), but there’s no way you can avoid them altogether, so the single most important piece of advice for any India first-timer is to try to remain calm, no matter what. Frustrations boil over easily in India, and being able to control them, take a deep breath and move on, is key to enjoying your overall experience.

Lonely Planet author Daniel McCrohan researched the 14th edition of India.

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Comments

25 September 2010 6:14PM ansh_jain_97 Report this comment
Hopefully newbies read this!
26 September 2010 2:16AM backpackerbucks Report this comment
I would add a few things. Try to time your trip for winter. Getting squashed into a bus in 40 degree (celsius)heat is unbearable. Pay a dollar or two to get your guest house to buy your train ticket. Buying one ticket is an experience buying two is just plain crazy. Pop into Nepal for a treat while you are there.
26 September 2010 3:19AM danielmccrohan Report this comment
Good tips, backpackerbucks - especially the train-ticket one!
27 September 2010 1:21AM diforbes Report this comment
Making my first trip to India end of October for 3 weeks. Recommend the book "Enjoying India" by JD Viharini. Lots of practical advice about the culture of India. Also recommend watching the excellent BBC series "The Story of India." Between Lonely Planet's India guidebook and Enjoying India, it can sound like there are so many things to be cautious about.
27 September 2010 4:04AM danielmccrohan Report this comment
One thing I forget to say, backpackerbucks; your 'Nepal treat' trip is a bit tougher to do now since the new visa changes came in. You now have to leave India for a full two months before you can come back in again. There are a couple of ways round this, but generally it's no longer the case that you can just nip across the border to spend a few days by the lake in Pokhara before heading back into the chaos.
27 September 2010 4:08AM danielmccrohan Report this comment
Don't let it worry you too much, diforbes. There's plenty to get excited about too. I spotted the following message on another forum (India Mike), posted by jyotirmoy... "And what about dirty Indians, louts and touts? What about typhoid, malaria, diphtheria, tetanus, rabies? What about beggars, sadhus, dusty roads? What about roses, jasmine, spices, coconuts, smell of food wafting out of a dhaba? What about tandoori chicken being roasted in a tandoor? What about a sunset on the western coast or a sunrise in the Himalayas? Didn't any one frighten you with any of those?"
27 September 2010 6:39AM tlc83 Report this comment
hi, re the comment about leaving india for 2 months before returning, we have just applied for a double entry visa as was thinking of goin to nepal to go back into india to fly from delhi to the next place...does this mean we cant do that??!! arh confused lol!!
28 September 2010 12:36AM danielmccrohan Report this comment
So let me get this straight, tic83; you're thinking of first going to India, then going to Nepal, then revisiting India so you can catch a plane from Delhi, yes? If that's the case then, strictly speaking, you would only be able to do this if you stayed in Nepal for at least two months. However, there are two (legal) ways round this. One, is to persuade the Indian staff at the border post that you really do *need* to go back into India before the two months. Showing them proof of your flight from Delhi should help here. If they're feeling nice, they will then write a signed note on your passport (on the page where they put your Exit stamp) saying something along the lines of "due to special circumstances, this person is allowed to come back into India by such and such a date"...
28 September 2010 12:37AM danielmccrohan Report this comment
...If they tell you to take a hike (entirely possible), then Option 2 is to go to the Indian embassy in Kathmandu where you can pay US$10 to be given permission to enter India early. I was up at the border with Nepal (in a town called Sunauli) quite recently and met two travellers who had both had success with either Option A or B. Best of luck!
18 October 2010 6:05AM middleastlove Report this comment
Thanks! I'll definitely re read this when I go to India, which will be some day soon I hope!
19 January 2011 7:32PM mpanklind Report this comment
HI there, next april we want to trip India, 19-26 April. We are all ladies (5person) Can we get all the places Dehli, Shimla, Jaipur, Achmer, Puskar, Agra, Varanasi) 7days/8nitghs This the first time to be there.
21 January 2011 11:10AM danielmccrohan Report this comment
Hi, mpanklind. As I mention in No 2.. slow down. In my opinion you're trying to cram way too much into one week. I think you'd be better off choosing two places - three at the most - and staying in each for a few days. If you're stuck for ideas, consider the 'Golden Triangle' route (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur). See No 1 above.
23 January 2011 9:10PM divy Report this comment
best thing is to get down at delhi and go to agra. one day trip is fine in agra. then come to jaipur. spend at most 2 days in jaipur and head to pushkar/ajmer. but still I feel that 7/8 days are too less
29 January 2011 2:35AM rbdub Report this comment
@backpackersbucks What do you mean by "Pay a dollar or two to get your guest house to buy your train ticket. Buying one ticket is an experience buying two is just plain crazy. "??
I'm going in April for 4 or 5 months! :D
16 June 2011 2:24AM blisspassport Report this comment
You can also use www.cleartrip.com to book train reservations but I don't think they have access to the tourist quota and the hotels don't often either if the train is full. The new book could also use to be a little more clear on descriptions of the different hotels so readers wouldn't have to read between the lines as much. And it'd be great if at least one hotel in more popular destinations was designated a good choice for solo female travelers. In 10 weeks I found maybe two hotel/guesthouses to like. The rest heard from me on TripAdvisor.
8 November 2011 3:38PM danielkwood Report this comment
@blisspassport...great recommendation on Cleartrip - it is MUCH easier to use than the official Indian Rail site and it accepts foreign VISA and Mastercard too, unlike IRCTC. I used it earlier this year to book 4 train tickets and it was great :) I also agree about planning itinerary carefully, going slowly, and keeping cool. Yes, there are touts, you could get sick, there are big crowds, etc...but there is so much more to be excited about than afraid of. If you want to reduce your chances of getting yourself in trouble, I would recommend planning things BEFORE you get there (eg. train tickets, hotel bookings, transfers, etc) - don't let fake airport staff handle your luggage and don't pay drivers until your are where you want to be.
9 November 2011 12:34PM rastafarian Report this comment
I totally agree with last tip about keeping your cool. I was conned by a so called "holy Brahmin" in Pushkar down to the water's edge where he started to make an offering to Shiva or somebody and when he held out his hand for money I politely declined. He then acted very unholy and upbraided me very loudly and very aggressively. I was on his turf and in his country so I couldn't do anything but he's lucky he didn't get his teeth knocked out.
13 November 2011 12:57PM murillo_d Report this comment
Thanks for the post! I really need it before plan my trip to India too :) Do you know where I can find info like that about Istanbul?
thanks in advance
Here I leave the link of me travel blog, hope you'll enjoy it :)
http://bagpacktraveller.blogspot.com/
14 November 2011 4:11AM perlahj Report this comment
Great tips! I am thinking of traveling to India for one month and I cant decide where to go, so many exciticing places.
18 November 2011 12:59PM swampeastmike Report this comment
No matter how well you prepare yourself or follow universal advice to "slow down" when touring I venture to say that while enjoying the experience you will either want to return again or again or say "never again".
29 November 2011 10:28PM cyberhippie Report this comment
Nice potted guide covering the essentials have a look at my webpage for some more tips on how to get around India.
www.gonindia.com
29 November 2011 10:29PM cyberhippie Report this comment
whoops www.goneindia.com
29 November 2011 10:42PM cyberhippie Report this comment
I always try to steer people away from a solely Golden Triangle tour not because they are not worthwhile (although "best" wouldn't be my description) but because all these places score high on the hassle scale and all are big smelly busy India towns. Only seeing these on a first visit can leave a very bad taste in one's mouth about India. They are also a pretty one dimensional look at at India, no wildlife, no spiritual angle, no countryside... In helping newbies make their first bay steps I usuallly suggest places like Bharatpur, Rishikesh, Orchha, Bundi, Shivpuri, Kumbhalgarh which are all a Where one can have a look at some other aspects of India (other than monuments) and shake the urban smog from your clothes.
29 November 2011 10:43PM cyberhippie Report this comment
Also speeding through many places in a week isn't my style of travel either I like to linger, but this form of of 5 destinations in a week is becoming increasingly popular with tourists and with newer infrastucture and transport is becoming easier year by year. Slow travel is a personal choice nothing more (took me years to figure that one out) a quick delve into places by taxi is for many just as rewarding and informative as taking it slow.
29 November 2011 10:50PM cyberhippie Report this comment
You also forgot to mention the side trips to Nepal can be organised whilst applying for you visa. So tell the embassy staff you want to visit Nepal and provide a itinerary and they will endorse a return to India within the 2 month period.
1 December 2011 12:00AM wonderfulrajasthan Report this comment
Hope the new travelers to India implement these tips to make the trip more successful. These points will serve as a short pocket guide one must read. The tourist must get aware of the do’s and don’t while their journey. But there is still lot many things would be learnt, once experienced during the trip.
1 December 2011 6:27PM coorgexpress Report this comment
All the places are in India done and discovered. Do you know the Scotland of India.The best river rafting point in South India.The best hills to trek.Its COORG.to know more log to www.coorgexpress.com ,the best guide to Coorg
2 December 2011 7:36PM kothianandam Report this comment
Also want to add another thing choose a guide for your trip or hire some agent via travel agencies, for most of the places needs lots of explanations and guidance to deeply understand the relevance of the existence and surely the history behind it.
11 January 2012 11:30PM royalroutes Report this comment
India is a land of diversities; hence your choice of preference of kind of visit on tour is necessary. And if you want to experience diversities than you must plan for a long duration of holidays here. Well the specifications are very well explained in the first tip.