India is a place that overwhelms your senses in the best possible way – nowhere else delivers quite the same barrage of sights, sounds and sensations as this continent-sized country at the heart of Asia.
It would take a lifetime to see all of India, let alone understand every nuance and facet of this nation of 1.4 billion inhabitants. But with a little preparation, you can learn to navigate the richness of this country, from its snow-capped peaks and velvety beaches to its historic temples and luxuriant palaces.
We’ve collated the top things you need to know about visiting India, but the journey begins before you leave home. Read on for 22 more insider tips that will help make your vacation unforgettable.
1. Plan your trip around the seasons
India has a reputation for being hot and humid, but with beaches, mountains, hills, coastlines and plains all jammed into a relatively small geographical area, the climate is quite diverse. The southwest monsoon brings rainy weather to most of the country from June to September, but this is the best time of year to visit the high-altitude deserts of Ladakh, although there is a risk of encountering landslides and floods.
In the far south, there’s also a milder rainy season from October to December. The ideal weather window for travel is from October to May, though temperatures and humidity climb to agonizing levels from March onwards in the run-up to the monsoon. If you find yourself in India in the spring, head to the Himalayan foothills for milder temperatures and good trekking conditions.
2. Book your jabs well before you travel
There is no official requirement for vaccinations to enter India (although yellow fever vaccination is needed if you are traveling from a country where the disease is endemic).
That said, it is important that you contact a health professional at least eight weeks before you travel to ensure your jabs are up to date. Vaccinations for diphtheria and tetanus, hepatitis A and B, polio and typhoid are usually recommended, on top of typical childhood vaccinations for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella.
Vaccinations worth considering for longer trips include Japanese B encephalitis, meningitis and rabies. Monkeys, dogs and cats can all carry the rabies parasite, and infection is fatal if untreated.
3. Take malaria precautions
Depending on where in India you are traveling to, you may want to…
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