It’s no secret I love India. I came here as a traveler and now it’s my home… but I still travel around this crazy country and love it. I share my experiences here, but with nearly 700 posts, you guys might not have seen some of the best of India that I’ve posted about. After reading this you’ll definitely want to book a trip to India sooner rather than later!
10 reasons you’ll want to book a trip to India NOW
1 Deserts & Havelis
Magical Rajasthan is the place I tell people to visit who want to mesmerizing views and feel like they are in a Hollywood movie based on India… this is where the maharajas lived in jewels and gold, riding on elephants, and living in OUT OF THIS WORLD palaces that you can now visit. The havelis you sleep in are as old as time and will make you feel like a true princess. You can take a camel ride from Jaisalmer into the Thar Desert all the way near Pakistan before turning back around. Visit Jodhpur the blue city, and Jaipur the pink city while you’re there.
2 Trekking the Himalayas
Why not spend time in the mountains while you’re here? Hang with the hippies in Manali, see an Indian holiday town Shimla, and meet the exiled Dalai Lama in McLeod Ganj. The roads are crazy here and trekking is expensive, so plan ahead!
3 Shopping the Best Textiles & Trinkets
I love buying textiles and shopping in different regions of India and then having tailors make Western clothing from them by copying my favorite pieces or showing a photo to them from Free People or Urban Outfitters. It’s the best way to get original clothing. Rajasthan is the best place to stop… and a lot of India’s cheap tourist items sell for big bucks abroad at places like Urban Outfitters and Anthropology – like bedcovers, pillowcases, and clothing.
4 The FOOD!
It’s different all across India. In the North there are creamy buttery dishes that are so hearty and rich, where in the South food is fresher and full of coconut milk. Seafood rava fry and vindaloos in Goa will have you hooked. In the NE and McLeod Ganj you’ll eat Tibetan thupka and momos. You can fill up on tandoori kebab and butter cheese garlic naan to your heart’s desire.
5 Seven Sister States
Northeast India is the BOMB.com and I am so in love with this area. The Tibetan culture is real here, and it’s so unlike the rest of the country. Hidden on the other side of Bangladesh, near Bhutan, it’s often forgotten… making it the perfect place to go! From Tibetan Buddhist temples, to Naga and Apatani tribals (the former used to be cannibals!), and the last remaining one-horned rhinos in the world, this is the coolest place in India.
6 Colorful Chaos
How else to describe this country? Everywhere you go is a shock to the senses. The smells, tastes, sounds, and sights are sometimes unbelievable. Traffic will drive you nuts and the second you smell a nice curry it might quickly switch to the smell of sewage as you walk along… it’s all part of being here and you’ll love adapting to it (I hope!). Beyond the chaos, is a backdrop of houses painted every color and women wearing saris with gold on them (some with real gold thread!).
7 Green Rolling Tea Fields
You can see nearly everything in India. Darjeeleing and Munnar offer some amazing views of tea fields you might have thought were only in Indonesia. Stay up in the hills and enjoy the fresh air.
8 Seaside fun: Surfing and Partying
Places like Pondicherry, Kovalam, and Varkala are chilled out surf spots and partly party places. Goa is the top of the list party place, world-renowned for its trance parties and the home of hippies since the 60’s. The vibe is strong here, and within no time you’ll be living the laid-back barefoot motorcycle life.
PS: If you’re coming to India and will spend a week of more in Goa, check out my ebook the Insider’s Guide to Goa. After five years of living here, I’m sure this 170-page book is the most comprehensive guide to Goa on the market. Click here to buy it.
9 It’s basically the Jungle Book
Kipling was British but lived in India and that’s where he got the inspiration for the Jungle Book. Baloo the bear, is just the word for bear in Hindi. Jungle is the hindi word for forest, and Bagheera the black panther? You guessed it! The Hindi word for black panther/leopard. There are a variety of National Parks for safari but even outside them you’ll see monkeys galore and elephants on the streets!
10 Culture unlike anywhere else
How is it I have written 692 blog posts mostly about India? Because this country is FULL of culture, mixed religions, unique tribes, thousands of languages, a variety of landscapes, and some of the most interesting people you’ll ever meet. From temples to cremation at the Ganges, history is deep in India and you will never get tired of learning here. If you’re still not convinced here are 70 more reasons to visit India!
Want to come to India? Start planning by clicking here!
Pin it for later!
10 great reasons to come to India! I am in Udaipur, Rajasthan, so I have to give it a shout out. Travelers, if you are coming to Rajasthan, you must come to Udaipur. In the evenings and at night it is so romantic. You can see the sunset from the monsoon palace or the cable cars. You can visit the city palace museum and see how the Maharan’s of Udaipur lived. And you can shop, shop, shop. There are tons of cloths, shoes, miniature painting, and other Rajasthani trinkets for sale here.
Happy travels everyone!
I love Udaipur!! One of my favorites :) I did a lot of shopping haha and yoga classes, painting classes too.
I miss so many things about India now that I have left (although there’s a fair few things I don’t miss too!). Your post makes me homesick :-( There are still too many places in India that I must travel to.
It’s an amazing country in so many ways.
I knowww there are always MORE places to go see haha!
Hi, Thanks for all the tips! How do I get to one out of the world Palace? (I kind of have a thing for Palaces). Thank you! Have a good trip in Jordan! Best regards Kine
This is a great India 101! Really can’t wait to visit soon, especially Goa, there’s just something about it that I can’t wait to see it for myself.
I totally agree with all the points you say in this article! One of the things I really loved about India and hated was the total acceptance the Indians have. Acceptance of religion, acceptance of other cultures, acceptance of throwing trash anywhere they wished, the acceptance of foul smells. All in all, it’s acceptance. I have yet in my travels to find a society that is so accepting of the world they live in. Such an amazing country in many ways and a tough place to travel, however it’s a place people need to go! Thanks for the Article!