India

It's hard to think of many countries that can rival India, with its combination of world-famous cuisine, vibrant culture and stunning nature. India really does have it all. Desert, rainforest. And what we loved about India is that it's managed to resist certain Western trends that have made everywhere feel a bit similar. Indians still rock traditional clothes for one. You definitely have to work a bit harder than your average trip, but India repays your effort with a truly unique experience.

Highlights

Delhi Street Food

Ranthambore
Tigers

Munnar

Allappuzha Houseboat

Itinerary

Delhi (3 nights)

2 hours

4 hours 30 minutes

Kanha (2 nights)

2 hours

Delhi (3 nights)

2 hours

Agra (1 night)

4 hours

Jaipur (1 night)

2 hours

Ranthambore (4 nights)

6 hours

Jaipur (4 nights)

2 hours

Jodhpur (2 nights)

5 hours

Udaipur (3 nights)

6 hours

Mumbai (3 nights)

6 hours

Palolem (4 nights)

6 hours

Kochi (1 night)

6 hours

Munnar (2 nights)

6 hours

Alappuzha (1 night)

6 hours

Kochi (1 night)

Delhi

We'd heard mixed things about Delhi before arriving, but it ended up being one of our favourite places in India. Yes, it's busy and chaotic, but that's all part of its charm. The street food (chaat) was the best we had in India, and there's so much history to absorb.

Qutab Minar, Red Fort, The Piano Man Jazz Club, Gurudwara Sisganj Sahib, India Gate, Humayun's tomb, Safdarjung's tomb

Eat

Chandni Chowk Food Tour, Old Famous Jalebi Wala, Hauz Khas Social

Stay

Tatvamasi Homestay

Kanha

I (Phil) went for a little solo expedition before Em arrived, to go and see some tigers. And to be honest, it seemed like that's the main reason most people travel to this part of the country. I'd heard this is one of the best places to spot tigers in the wild, and I wasn't going to leave India without seeing one. Luckily I ended up seeing four, and two leopards! If you're really into tigers, the detour is worth it, otherwise it's less of a detour to head to Ranthambore

Game Drives

Eat

Stay

Sterling Kanha

Agra

You're here for the Taj Mahal. And it's absolutely incredible. You'll definitely want to get in for sunrise to avoid the crowds. It wasn't nearly as busy was we thought it was going to be at that time, so we managed to actually get some photos without people in the background. The city itself is maybe our least favourite in India. More than other cities, it felt like there were a lot of people trying to scam us. We're also pretty certain this is where we caught the stomach bug that knocked us out for about 10 days. So maybe we're harbouring some ill feelings, pun intended.

The Taj Mahal

Eat

Stay

Joey's Hostel

Udaipur

The White City, and our last stop in Rajastan. We were finally coming out of our tussle with Indian stomach parasites, and so managed to explore a bit more. The city is really cool and built around lakes, which give it a much fresher feel than other cities in the area. One of our highlights from the trip came very unexpectedly – we saw some beautiful hand-drawn postcards being sold from a tiny shop. Next thing we know we're inside doing an impromptu art lesson with the owner, Lokesh. We must have been there for two or three hours. Like most Indians, he was unbelievably welcoming, and his wife was making sure we had chai at all times!

Sakshi Art School, Bagore Ki Haveli dance show, Badi Lake

Eat

Stay

Zostel Udaipur

Palolem

As we headed south, we left the cities behind and hit the beach in South Goa. It was definitely a nice change of pace, and more chilled (head to North Goa for the party scene). We had one of the best dinners of our whole trip on neighbouring Patnem beach, where the restaurant owner got us some crab from the markets (we'd asked for them the night before). He served up the most wonderful curry, on the beach, just us two dining with him that night. It was so special.

Eat

Sea Touch

Stay

Hillias Retreat

Tips

We loved India, but it's definitely one of the more challenging countries we've been to. Firstly, do the visa process in good time, it took us a while to sort. Get a SIM once you land. Don't be surprised if this takes over an hour. It seems like the most complicated process, but it was worth getting, especially as you might need it to book train travel. Speaking of which,

familiarise yourself with the different classes. 1st class (private cabin) was nice, but not essential. AC however, is. Make sure you agree a price with TukTuk drivers, we had a few try and scam us. And prepare for Delhi belly. It's inevitable.

If we had more time...

1. Ladakh

2. Varanasi

3. Jaisalmer

OTRA

India

Highlights

Delhi Street Food

Ranthambore Tigers

Munnar

Allappuzha Houseboat

Itinerary

Delhi (3 nights)

Kanha (2 nights)

Delhi (3 nights)

Agra (1 night)

Jaipur (1 night)

Ranthambore (4 nights)

Jaipur (4 nights)

Jodhpur (2 nights)

Udaipur (3 nights)

Mumbai (3 nights)

Palolem (4 nights)

Kochi (1 night)

Munnar (2 nights)

Alappuzha (1 night)

Kochi (1 night)

Delhi

Tips

If we had more time...

Ranthambore
Tigers