India – quick travel guide

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Culturally rich region of the world, wide ranges of culture and economic strata, and many areas not known to even seasoned travelers.

Exotic, vastly unseen and unexplored land. That’s how I think of India. You’ve heard about it and maybe seen some photos. But you get the idea hardly anybody knows much about it.

India is really like a continent of many different ethnostates. All united under one country called “India” due to British colonization. You could spend 6-12 months here and not feel like you saw everything. Every part is very different from others.

If I had to guess…you’ll need at least 1 month minimum to see a few different things. It’s a massive culture shock and sensory overload that takes some time to get used to. 2 months to really get a broader glance…you’ll still feel like you barely saw 1% of the tip of anything. 6 months to really say “Ok, I’ve been to India”. The big thing to consider is that India is really a love-it-or-hate-it type of place. So you should have an open-ended plan in order to extend or cut short.

General tips for traveling in India:

  • VISA requirements – official India online visa site, takes 4-5 business days (rush option avail).
  • Mobile carrier –
  • Transportation:
    • plane – many domestic flights available last minute.
    • train – definitely one way of getting around.
    • bus – available
    • taxi/rideshare – Ola is the local app, and Uber is also used. Taxis tend to ripoff foreigners.
    • tuktuk –
    • app bikes/scooters – I didn’t see any in Mumbai.
  • Weather – big range throughout the country, check before you go. But usually, it’s very very hot.

Miscellaneous tips:

  • Tap water – not drinkable, but many places have filter.
  • Food delivery –
  • Activities:
    • Food: especially vegetarian or vegan food
    • Shopping – India has many unique fashion designs for clothing and jewelry, accessories. Fun to shop.

Safety tips:

  • Petty crime –
  • Scams –
  • Women safety – generally, I don’t feel India is safe for solo women wandering around on the street. You can do it during daytime in crowded areas, but definitely not at night. I rarely saw females walking around the streets at night. The ones that were, were usually employees in uniform coming home after work. But never the traveler/tourist type. Even couples, I rarely saw. You might see them standing in the street outside a restaurant waiting for taxi, or wandering a street marketplace, but not walking from block to block. Any obviously western females coming to India, be careful. Although I never felt unsafe personally and never felt cautious of predatory men, I do feel India is a place where sexual assault can happen at any moment.

Activities & Tours:

Foods to try:

  • Oh my, so many so many.
  • India is by far the best vegan/vegetarian country. Hundreds of options…often 50+ options even at one restaurant.

Customs & Language:

  • Languages spoken –
  • Hello & Bye –
  • Yes & No –
  • Thank you –

Itinerary suggestions:

India cities (* = recommended, ** = must see):

North

  • Delhi & New Delhi

Central

  • Mumbai
  • Goa – not considered South India but combines well with visits to that region.

South

Nearby countries:

  • Pakistan
  • China
  • Nepal
  • Bangladesh
  • Burma

Unfiltered notes:

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