16 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Travel to India
Quotes that embody the energy of India....
June 16, 2020
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"If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India."
– Romain Rolland
Where I've Been
New Delhi; Jaipur; Sikar; Agra
My Experience
India, what a place! Before visiting India I wasn’t really sure what to expect and had heard very mixed reviews. For some people it is too much, while others fall completely in love with the county. I can totally understand both sides. On one hand I absolutely loved the country, the culture, the food, and the history; I mean, it was incredible! I was intrigued and curious my whole week there. But on the other hand I can also understand why India can be overwhelming for some and why solo travelers (especially female) would have reservations about going. But I was lucky enough to not deal with too much stress of navigating alone through the chaos. New Delhi and Agra I visited on my own for a day each, but the rest of my time was spent in Jaipur and Sikar on extremely special circumstances. You see, while while in Nepal the month before, I got to know my neighbor who’s father was the last king of Jaipur! When I expressed interest in going to India for a week, he insisted to arrange my whole trip so that his private driver would pick me up from the airport in Jairpur and escort me anywhere I wanted to go, and that I would stay in the royal family apartments with a personal chef! All this on top of touring a country so rich in culture, I really had the time of my life in India!
My favorite part of my trip to India was seeing such old architecture with my own eyes. The country is so full of history, and the age of the buildings along with their beauty absolutely blew my mind.
My Experience
India, what a place! Before visiting India I wasn’t really sure what to expect and had heard very mixed reviews. For some people it is too much, while others fall completely in love with the county. I can totally understand both sides. On one hand I absolutely loved the country, the culture, the food, and the history; I mean, it was incredible! I was intrigued and curious my whole week there. But on the other hand I can also understand why India can be overwhelming for some and why solo travelers (especially female) would have reservations about going. But I was lucky enough to not deal with too much stress of navigating alone through the chaos. New Delhi and Agra I visited on my own for a day each, but the rest of my time was spent in Jaipur and Sikar on extremely special circumstances. You see, while while in Nepal the month before, I got to know my neighbor who’s father was the last king of Jaipur! When I expressed interest in going to India for a week, he insisted to arrange my whole trip so that his private driver would pick me up from the airport in Jairpur and escort me anywhere I wanted to go, and that I would stay in the royal family apartments with a personal chef! All this on top of touring a country so rich in culture, I really had the time of my life in India!
My favorite part of my trip to India was seeing such old architecture with my own eyes. The country is so full of history, and the age of the buildings along with their beauty absolutely blew my mind.
Planning your own visit?
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Know Before You Go
Language
India has many different languages depending on the region, but Hindi is the most common. English is spoken by 10% of the population, in fact India has the most English speakers in the world besides the United States.
Currency
Indian Rupee
SYMBOL: ₹
ABBREVIATION: INR
CONVERSION: The currency rate is subject to change but typically $1 USD ~ ₹ 71 INR
Plugs Used
India uses plug types C, D, and M with voltage 230V and frequency 50Hz; because this voltage is higher than in the U.S. and the plugs are different, U.S. travelers should bring a plug adapter with a voltage converter.
Health
To check health advisories and what vaccinations are needed and what precautions to take traveling to the India check the CDC website.
While in India be cautious of food and be sure to only eat freshly cooked food, fruit you peel yourself and stay away from salads and juices.
In case of sickness or injury, I would travel with antibiotics, electrolytes, DiaResQ, and a first aid kit.
Safety
*Before traveling anywhere you should check the U.S. Government Travel Advisory for your own knowledge.
For solo female travelers, India does not have the best reputation, and I can understand why. Although almost my entire trip was escorted (by tour guides or my private driver as mentioned in ‘My Experience’ above) I still had a taste of why a female might feel uncomfortable in many situations on her own. Most times it felt like all eyes were on me, I was very aware of the dispropportianate amount of men to women seen out everyday, all my interactions were with men, every conversation started with, “Are you married?”, I felt lingering eyes on me many times even with one of my tour guides, and I was ignored when I first tried to check into my hotel in New Delhi until they realized I was alone and responsible for my own booking. But nothing ever “happened.” It was just a series of small events that made me personally uncomfortable and I was constantly on alert. For that reason, I would love to backpack through India but would probably only do so if I were traveling with someone or joined in on a group tour. This is not necessarily because it’s impossible to backpack through alone, many seasoned solo female travelers have! But for me personally I would prefer a companion in some areas (not all areas of India are the same and I only have experience in the Golden Triangle).
If you are a solo female traveler and would still like to go to India, don’t be discouraged! There are many group tours you can take that organize a whole trip through the country such as Intrepid and G Adventures.
My top safety tips in India:
- Wear longer skirts or pants, looser clothing and overall not too revealing.
- Have a day bag that zips and is theft proof, I would advise holding it infront of you and to your chest in more crowded areas, and do not put your wallet or phone in your back pocket.
- If it makes you feel better, wear a fake wedding ring. I did and it was a quick way to shut down any interests
- If you’re anxious about staying in a room alone, use a door stop alarm and a door lock (check out ‘My Gear’)
- Instead of exploring on your own, get yourself a tour guide from a company with many reviews (check for solo female traveler reviews specifically if you are a solo female traveler).
- Don’t do drugs, party alone, or walk alone at night.
- Stay away from animals especially stray dogs.
- Practice good hygiene and take proper precautions with water and food.
- Get travel insurance!
Apps & Websites to Use
Must Haves on Packing List
- For females, longer skirts or loose fitting pants and overall non-revealing clothes to avoid attention
- A scarf for the dust and if visiting mosques
- Sunscreen and bugspray
- A water filter
- Good walking shoes
- Antibiotics and electrolytes in case of sickness
- First Aid Kit
- Safety items for female solo travelers, I had a door alarm, door lock, and wore a fake wedding ring
Best Time to Visit
October - March
The best time to visit India is said to be October to March. March is popular to tourists especially because of the Holi festival! Keep in mind, India is a large country and weather in certain months can vary so these dates are just general. If you’re going to the far south or far north where you may be trekking, weather and best time to visit can eb different.
Transportation & Getting Around
Flying
- Fastest and probably safest way to jump from city to city in India
Train
- Traveling through India by train is very popular
- What you pay for is what you get, with the cheapest options you will be lucky to get a seat, while with the most expensive option you may have you own booth with AC and a bed.
Buses
- For shorter trips
Taxi and Rideshare
- Taxis are known to rip off tourists, you must heavily bargain
- Uber is in parts of India like Delhi
- Taxi motorbikes are also available if you’re comfortable on the back
Rickshaws/Tuk tuks
- Works just like a taxi and you’ll have to heavily bargain
typical costs in India
ACCOMMODATION
FOOD
TRANSPORTATION
BUDGET PER DAY
BEST WAYS TO PAY
ACCOMMODATION
Hostels in India tend to be $5-10 USD for a dorm bed, while private rooms in an Airbnb or hotel can be anywhere from $10-200 USD, and more luxury places for much more.
FOOD
A meal in India is typically between $2-5 USD but heavily depends on the type of place you go to. Of course their are luxury options.
TRANSPORTATION
Domestic flights in India are typically $25 – 60 USD. Trains vary in price depending on which class you choose. They are often cheaper than flights but not necessarily if you go for the luxury option, which in that case most people are paying for the experience. However, it’s worth comparing prices when deciding.
BUDGET PER DAY
Budget per day greatly depends on how you travel. As a backpacker I would budget $40 USD per day. However, as I mentioned earlier when speaking on safety, it may be smart for solo female travelers to opt for tour guides or be apart of a group tour trip in which case the cost is more expensive.
BEST WAYS TO PAY
I would use cash at all times in India. And if you go outside of larger cities to more remote areas, I definitely would make sure to bring plenty of cash.
