In 2013 I went backpacking around India for the first time. I was so moved and inspired by what I explored and experienced that I started a travel blog to share my experiences of this amazing country. Little did I know back then that travel blogging and freelance writing would help to fund my adventures and that I would end up living in Goa!
Over the years I have travelled to SO many places in India and written hundreds of India travel blogs, guides, and travel tips to help others experience the magic of India. I’ve also got a whole section on Goa – see all my Goa blogs here.
In my opinion, India is the most captivating and life-changing travel destination there is, however it can also be challenging and a culture shock, especially for women or first timers. Traveling in India takes more preparation than somewhere like Thailand or Bali.
My first experiences of India were the most eye-opening and transformative and my earliest India blogs and stories capture the wonder and often overwhelming feelings of that first trip to India. Later on I started writing more travel guides and tips to help out others who were planning their own trips.
India has modernised and changed a lot in the last 10 years (and so have I!) but newcomers still experience the culture shock, so I think it’s useful for first time travelers to read about these experiences so they know what to expect and can have a smoother first trip than I did!
So I’ve collated all my best India travel blogs, guides, tips, stories and journals on this page to make it easier for you to find what you need. I hope you enjoy reading them and find them useful for planning your own Indian adventures.
India Travel Tips
If you’re thinking of traveling to India these essential travel tips will help you to plan your trip, know the best places to go and things to do and stay safe while traveling in India.
- The Very Best Places to Visit in India for First Timers
- India Bucket List: 30 Incredible Experiences you can only have in India!
- How to Plan your First Trip to India
- The Ultimate India Itinerary and Backpacking Route
- My Advice for Women and Solo Female Travelers in India
- 10 Tips for your First Time in India
- The Ultimate Guide to Train Travel in India (including how to buy tickets in advance from abroad)
- FAQs for Planning A Trip to India
- My India Packing List for Women ( + tips on what to wear in India)
- How to Avoid the Scams and Survive your First Time in Delhi
- Places to Go to Avoid the Monsoon in India
- How to Enjoy the Kerala Backwaters on a Budget
- Tips for Riding a Motorbike in India (and surviving to tell the tale!)
- How to get a Local SIM Card in India
- How to Teach English and India (and get paid for it)
- My Guide to Doing Yoga Teacher Teaching in India
- Top Yoga and Meditation Retreats in India
- Our 2 Week South India Itinerary: Goa, Hampi & Mumbai
- How to see the best of Leh and Ladakh in one week
- Best places to go in the Indian Himalayas
- Typical Costs and Budget Tips for Backpacking India
India Travel Blogs
I’ve blogged about much of my travels in India, hopefully you’ll enjoy reading about my experiences and get some useful tips for your own adventures.
- 21 Reasons Why I Love India So Much
- Can you really Find Yourself in India?
- My Experiences Backpacking India Alone as a Solo Female Traveller
- Thank you India – Life Lessons I’ve Learned from Traveling in India
- Why Kerala is the Perfect Introduction to India
- 21 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Traveling to India
- Tips for Volunteering in India
- A Day in My Life as a Volunteer in Bangalore
- 5 Mistakes Many People Make When Visiting India for the First Time
- Does Visiting the Taj Mahal Live up to the Hype?
- 7 Reasons why Traveling India isn’t as difficult as you think
- The Reality of being a Digital Nomad in Goa
- 5 Festivals in India you must Experience
- 7 Amazing Spiritual Places to Visit in India
- 10 Reasons to Stay at a Homestay in India
- My Favourite Things to do in Mumbai ( Bombay)
- My Favourite Things to do in Bengaluru ( Bangalore)
- Exploring Untouristy Temples in Karnataka
- Why I feel in love with Magical Hampi
- My Experience on The Kerala Blog Express
- Best Places to Visit in Kerala
- 10 Reasons I Love Kerala
- My Kerala Backwaters Luxury Houseboat Experience
- Best Houseboats on the Kerala Backwaters
- Places to visit in Madhya Pradesh
- Best places to visit in Tamil Nadu
- Visiting Auroville: A Utopian Community in South India
- The Best Palaces and Heritage Hotels in India that you can stay in
- The Best Backpacker Hostels in India
- Recommended Small Group Tours of India
- My Experience Traveling with India Someday – Bespoke India Trip Planners
- Do you really need Travel Insurance for India?
- Should you use a hand pulled rickshaw in Calcutta?
- Searching for Tigers in the Sunderbans
- Exploring the Most Bizarre Temple in the World in Amritsar
- Tips for Traveling India during the Monsoon
India Travel Guides
Throughout my time traveling around India I’ve returned again and again to some of the my favourite places and written guides to many of India’s best destinations that I know really well:
- My Insider’s Guide to Goa – (I’ve lived in Goa since 2015 – All my Goa travel blogs are here.)
- How to visit the Taj Mahal from Goa
- Mumbai (Bombay) Travel Guide
- Rishikesh Travel Guide
- Agra Travel Guide
- How to visit the Taj Mahal from Delhi
- Jaipur Travel Guide
- Varanasi Travel Guide
- Khajuraho Travel Guide
- Kerala Travel Guide
- Fort Cochin Travel Guide
- Varkala Beach Travel Guide
- Mysore Travel Guide
- Dharamkot Guide
North East India Blogs
North East India is a remote and relatively undiscovered destination with stunning and wild natural beauty, tribal people and wildlife. It’s very different from the rest of India and I’ve been lucky enough to visit twice.
- 8 Reasons why North East India should be on your bucket list
- 10 Amazing, off beat places to visit in North East India
- Tips for traveling in North East India
- Why you should skip Tibet and visit Tawang instead
- Escaping it all in the remote tribal lands of North East India
- Meeting the Headhunters of Nagaland
- Experiencing the Aoling Festival in Nagaland
- Spotting endangered one horned Rhinos in Kaziranga National Park
- Meeting the Apatani Tribe in Ziro Valley
- Attending the Mystical Mopin Festival in Arunachal Pradesh
- My Review of Traveling in North East India with Holiday Scout
Photo Essays
- A Photo Essay of Devaraja Market in Mysore
- Why Amritsar’s Golden Temple is better than the Taj Mahal: A Photo Essay
- A Photo Essay of Tibetan Monasteries in Bir Billing, Himachal Pradesh
Stories and Journals from my First Trip to India
My first experiences of India in 2013 were the most eye opening and transformative and my earliest blogs, stories and journals capture the wonder and often overwhelming feelings of that first trip to India.
Now the internet is dominated with ai writing and seo optimised pages these first travel blogs have become buried but are still some of my favourites so I don’t want to erase my memories and India travel stories with generic seo content.
If you’re interested in a raw, authentic and honest account of what backpacking India on a budget was really like in those days all my posts are below:
- First Impressions of Mumbai: The Culture Shock of my First Day in India
- How Visiting Dharavi Slum in Mumbai Changed my Perceptions on Poverty
- First Train Ride in India – The Journey itself is part of the Destination
- Exploring Pune – Nothing in India is what you expect
- Hold Tight! The Nightmare Sleeper Bus Ride to Goa
- Falling in Love with Goa Beach Life
- Scooter Adventures Exploring Goa
- A Miraculous Meditation in Fort Cochin
- Finding Peace on the Kerala Backwaters
- Exploring Misty, Green, Munnar
- Getting Scammed in Delhi
- A Tale of Two Cities: Old Delhi and New Delhi
- Our Sunrise Boat Trip down the Holy Ganges River in Varanasi
- Exploring the Erotic Temples of Khajuraho
- A Glimpse into Traditional Rural Indian life
- Attending an Anniversary Party in Khajuraho
- Does the Taj Mahal live up to the Hype?
- Agra: So Much More than the Taj Mahal
- Jaipur: Pink City, Palaces and Primates
- Udapiur: Shimmering Lakes and Romantic Palaces
- Back to Bombay: The Last Train Journey
- Last Day in Mumbai – Elephanta Island and Caves
Guides for Getting a Visa for India
The boring by essential stuff! Nearly everyone needs to get an Indian visa before traveling which can often be confusing and frustrating so I wrote these guide to help you apply for your visa for India.
I hope my blog inspires you and helps you to prepare for the amazing adventure that is traveling in India.
1 comment
So many articles! I’ll enjoy reading or re reading.