The Art Of Travel

Whether you decide to pre-book hotels in India is often governed by the kind of trip you're taking and how long you'll be there.  Backpackers, often looking for the cheapest deal, usually won't book in advance and this is all part of the the adventure.  But if you're older (and perhaps wiser) and not looking for the big adventure, you might want to think about booking at least some of your hotels before you arrive. My own experience is something of a mixed bag.  If travelling with someone else, you'll often be more relaxed about where you stay.  If the hotel is at the cheaper end, a friend to share the experience with really does make it easier.  If you're travelling alone, meals tend to take less time and you will almost certainly use your accommodation more as a retreat and a quiet space for reading etc and so it really should be comfortable.  I've used three basic patterns in hotel booking during trips to India. High end backpacking Part booked, part cha...

  Buying just about anything in India can be a bit of a challenge, especially if you're not in a bigger town or city where fixed prices are more common.  In reality, most tourists limit food shopping to occasional purchases of fruit, sweets and biscuits for long train journeys.  Few of us ever have the need to shop for proper kitchen cooking and even English friends who live in India admit they usually employ a cook or someone else who does this kind of shopping.  So I won't focus on that here. People love the range of crafts, textiles and jewellery on offer everywhere in India. In reality, what most visitors are looking for is souvenirs and gifts for people back home. Lets face it, India is incredible for this, the sheer choice can be overwhelming but I know people who come back loaded with sandalwood carvings, mirrored skirts, cheap silver jewellery and paintings and wonder why they bought so much when a lot of this kind of stuff is available in the UK. One of...

  I'm something of a minimalist traveller in the sense that I like to take as little as possible - wherever I go.  This is probably easier because I'm a man and I don't feel like I need too many different changes of clothes. In addition, I like to be able to bring things back with me. often bulky stuff, so my packing needs to be carefully balanced. In India, despite what everyone thinks how you dress definitely counts.  I'm not a shorts wearer anyway, so this makes it a bit easier for me.  I almost live in polo shirts and cargo pants whilst I'm in India although I'll usually take a couple of long sleeved cotton shirts and a pair of decent shoes just in case I am staying in a good hotel or meeting up with smart Indian friends. All the guide books will warn against shorts and anything sleeveless: you will be denied entry to some temples and are almost certain to be excluded from Gudwaras and Mosques if you're not properly dressed.  The prejudice of shorts as ...