Traveling in India can be challenging

I love India, and I have traveled from one end of the country to the other. However, I have to admit it can be challenging. I was very lucky — from my first moments in Delhi (back in 2005), I have had the benefit of Indian friends to help and guide me. I am the first to admit that a bit of hand-holding when you are first in India can go a long way to making your journey (relatively) smooth and enjoyable.

That’s what this section is all about. I am going to ‘keep my eyes peeled’ for informative, accurate and helpful resources for travelers in India, such as blogs, articles, lists, sites, guides — whatever I think will help! You can start here, with my post Planning to go to India?, a round-up of posts on Breathedreamgo about travel tips, advice, etiquette and a packing list.

Please free to make suggestions in the Comments below. Happy travels!

[NOTE: I may not fully agree with all the advice provided below, but if it's here, it must have some merit.]

Travel Tips

The fabulous Journeywoman site has an entire section devoted to India, called Girl Talk India. It’s a must-visit for loads of advice, travel tips, ideas and inspiration.

Caroline Martin lived in India and Nepal for several years. Here’s her India for dummies: Tips for first-time travelers.

How to travel in India and not get sick by Robin Esrock, Matador Network. It’s a good starting point, but read the comments. Personally, I think having a positive attitude and taking a few basic precautions is all you need.

A solid list of 8 things you should know before you go to India from the Lost Girls website

Practical Help

My friends Dave and Deb of ThePlanetD — one of the best travel blogs out there, if you ask me — did a great job putting together a series about taking trains in India. Here it is:

Figuring out India Rail Travel

India Rail Travel Tips and Tricks

India Rail Travel Tips, Part 3

Here’s A Usfeul Guide for Traveling by India by Rail from the always-good Travel Dudes. It is very detailed about train classes. 2AC, or Chair Class, is usually a good choice. I also suggest looking for Shatabdi or Rajdhani trains — they are the best trains in India.

Hermail is a service run by Journeywoman, the venerable women’s travel site. You can contact women in India (or just about any other country!) and ask for mentoring when you are in their city.

Tours

I am the first person to recognize that India is a challenging travel destination for foreigners, especially because of the culture shock, and a little hand-holding when you first arrive can go a long way. A good, small-group tour is the ideal way to start your travel adventure. You can spend your first few weeks in India with a professional guide, getting to know the ropes, and then launch into your own adventure feeling prepared. I highly recommend this strategy. All of the companies listed here have been carefully vetted by me for quality.

1. G Adventures ~ A Canadian company known for a having an outstanding commitment to responsible travel.
2. Geringer Global Travel ~ Custom tours created by an Indiaphile, including a homestay tour that will immerse you into the real culture of India.
3. Indus Travels ~ Indo-Canadian company that specializes in niche-tours of India, such as cooking, photography, etc. They know India.
4. Intrepid Travel ~ More than 30 small-group tours of India to choose from. Intrepid is an Australian company with a specialty in India and  commitment to grass-roots, authentic travel.
5. Wanderlust and Lipstick ~ Women-only tours from a very special company; India is a specialty.

Festivals

India is a land of festivals. There are religious, cultural and commercial festivals and melas every day, all over the country. It can really help to know about them — both for planning  (try driving in pre-Diwali traffic in Delhi!) and enjoyment.

Festival of India site. Here, on the same site, the festivals are listed by month (be aware that a lot of festivals are scheduled by phases of the moon, not calendar dates).

The site, also called Festivals of India, doesn’t have dates, but it does a good job of explaining the major festivals.

About India

Jennifer Kumar lived in India and writes a lot about cultural adjustment between India and the USA. Here’s her guide to debunking the Myths of India.

And here are my Top 5 myths about India busted.

Sherry Ott, of Ott’s World travel blog, wrote a series of blogs about the weeks she spent living in Delhi and volunteering. It’s called the Spice Diaries and it’s delightful reading.

This is a very good list of India’s best beaches.

Culture Shock

India feels like home to me now, but I certainly remember my first days (weeks, months). My first car drive in Delhi felt like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride; and New Delhi Train Station looked like the scene from Gone with the Wind. Here are some of my favourite posts about culture shock in India.

Uncornered Markets’s excellent What India taught me series is a must-read. Here’s part 1: A taxi nightmare and where lost baggage goes to die.

Nomadichick’s Wooing or expulsion, the India version is a beautifully written and heartfelt description of her first impression of India after landing in Mumbai.

40before30′s Sensory overload: Impressions of first timer in India is a very honest blog about the author’s attempts to come to grips with India.