Travel And Tourism

A First Timer’s Guide to India

The sheer variety that India offers to a traveler can be confounding. Should he explore the North or the South; should he check out its natural bounty or dip into its spiritual traditions; should he experience its rich architectural legacy or experience its diverse lifestyles up close? The kaleidoscope that is India requires a certain clarity right at the outset to get the most out of your trip. The key to visiting India for the first time is to know your mind before hand.

So the first mantra is to work out roughly what you want to explore rather than reaching India, and let the moment take over. Would recommend the latter approach once you’ve got a sighter! No matter how many days, weeks or months you come for, it would be difficult to come to terms with its geographical, cultural, spiritual and artistic diversity. Australia, for example, can be comfortably done in 2-3 months despite its geographical size. Similarly most European countries can also be closely experienced in this time frame. But India with its layered cultures is imposing.

The second mantra is - seldom expect standardization. Chicken curry in hotels in Delhi would be completely different the local avatar in Kochi down south. Likewise a sample of Jaipur hotel reviews, with its share of heritage properties, would offer a vastly different experience compared to reviews on Chandigarh hotels, a city with all of 5 to 6 decades behind it.

Thirdly, to get a taste of India try its different means of transportation – air, rail, road and water. While moving between different cities or even within cities combine these diverse modes and you’ll get an insight into the varied lifestyles that people lead here. Most hotels in Kolkata and Kochi would gladly guide you on how to how to experience a ferry ride. Inland waterways are an important mode of local transport at these places. Likewise, short distance travel by bus and long distance by train would be recommended. Air travel, once a luxury, is gradually reaching out to a larger audience.

And lastly, to get first hand information from ground zero, join a travel forum in India.

Rajesh Mishra is currently the content editor of raahi.com - a leading portal in the travel domain. He has many published articles on travel, sports, architecture and design. Find more information about India hotels.