Travelling over from 7 days of paradise in the Maldives, we felt fresh and relaxed. It was time to embrace the bright and colourful wonderland of India that we had heard so much about!

India is such a huge country, and with only a month, we had to cherry pick our locations. As first time visitors to this extraordinary country, we picked some of the most well-known locations, with the odd lesser known gem in the mix. Our hopes were to ease ourselves into the bustling world of India! Because I have to be honest, I was quite cautious of India from mixed reviews we’d heard. That being said, how could we possibly decide if we would enjoy this colourful country without paying it a visit!

Duration: 28 days, 29 nights

Country: India

Budget: £2,800 / $3,690

Spend: £2,615 / $3,445

Miles Travelled: 3,270

Use our interactive map below to see which areas we visited in order! Plus, a few extra gems which were our favourite half or full day trips.

We found accommodation to be incredibly varied across India. Our favourite was a gorgeous homestay in Munroe Island. The room was large and modern and all of our meals were made by the host family. There were no local restaurants, but you really didn’t need them!

Some of the hostels we stayed in were also at the better end of the scale (per the photo!), so definitely don’t write off hostels. 1 even had a swimming pool!

Some of our least favourite accommodation was in New Delhi. This is a place where 4* or 5* doesn’t meant the same as it does back home! Definitely check out those reviews and make sure they are legit! You never know when your room might have tiles lifting, and holes in the windows to air out the smoke from your non-smoking boudoir! 1 particular hotel even had drunken management staff with incompetence levels that you could only dream of – in your worst nightmares! It was character building – as my Mother might say.

India has a whole world of transport options available. Some may be more appealing than others, depending on where you are and where you are journeying to.

Flights

We tried to limit our plane travel in India as much as possible. This was to limit our carbon footprint, save some pennies and also to enjoy the local travel experience. This having been said, sometimes a flight is just necessary.

Within India we took 2 flights. Our first flight was from Goa to New Delhi (roughly 930 miles). And our second was from Jaisalmer back to New Delhi (around 400 miles).

Trains

One of our many attempts at using public transportation was the 18-hour train which took us the 630 miles from Kollam to Goa. We were scarred!

In fact, we were caught out by India’s train system, so follow along carefully to make sure you don’t have the same challenges.

To book online train ticket reservations at the most cost effective price, use the IRCTC app or website:

IRCTC

After you have booked your train ticket, use the ixigo app or website to reserve your seats:

Train Seat Availability for Indian Railways Reservation | ixigo

Here’s the important bit:

1. Make sure you have pre-registered for both apps, because this is not a quick or simple process.
2. Be aware that you can actually book “Waitlist” tickets in India which will be indicated by a “WL”. These are not confirmed reservations. You will however receive a separate e-mail confirmation if some tickets have freed up to allow you to join this train. Critically, if you do not receive the confirmation e-mail – you do not have train tickets and will receive a refund within 2 working weeks! This is where we fell down and wound up waiting 6.5 hours for the next train before our 18 hour journey!

Tuk Tuks and Taxis

Our experience of Tuk Tuks and Taxis varied depending upon where we were. In the South, there were less challenges in this area. 

The North of the country was a different story. Prices were often inflated and drivers would demand cash despite the booking being made via a credit card on an app, such as Uber. There were some heated conversations and times when we just walked away entirely. 

Our advice is, if you find a good driver, keep them close! An alternative is to have your accommodation book transport for you where possible. And in New Delhi, just stick with the subway network which is similar to London underground – it’s impeccably efficient and saves an awful lot of hassle.

2. Gulab Jamun

Well, this is Alisha’s favourite! These deep fried doughballs are soaked in aromatic syrups and spiced with fragrant cardamom. Perhaps this doesn’t sound like a winning combo – but trust me, this syrupy goodness is the most delicious dessert. A warm gulab jamun pairs amazingly well with some vanilla ice cream. In Jodhpur, we had some of the best, if not the best, gulab jamun we have ever tried! Highly recommend a trip to Jodhpur just for these! 

Sunrise and Sunset Tours, Munroe Island

The untouched backwaters of Munroe Island are a tranquil paradise. In stark contrast to the waters of Alleppey, there was not another boat in sight for much of our trip. Just us in nature, the wildlife and the glorious sunrise or sunset ahead of us. Perfection.

India brought beaches and bustling cities, canoes and trains, calm tranquility and chaos. A country of opposites that offered surprises and setbacks. 

We didn’t know what to expect from this mammoth place. It resulted in a love for the South, a character-building experience further North and a smattering of hippy edge in the middle.

Would we like to return?! A complex response with many caveats. Oh yes, how we would love to return, but perhaps to areas of more natural beauty, with exotic wildlife to explore and fewer polluting fumes and tricksters to bear!