{"id":1170,"date":"2022-11-14T13:12:49","date_gmt":"2022-11-14T13:12:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/14\/india-travel-tips-for-first-time-visitors-updated-2022\/"},"modified":"2022-11-14T13:12:49","modified_gmt":"2022-11-14T13:12:49","slug":"india-travel-tips-for-first-time-visitors-updated-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/14\/india-travel-tips-for-first-time-visitors-updated-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"India Travel Tips for First-Time Visitors (Updated 2022)"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Posted<\/strong>: 11\/14\/22 | November 14th, 2022<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve never been to India. I know. Crazy, right? It\u2019s not that I don\u2019t want to go but life has just always gotten in the way. However, India is a place a lot of people visit and, since I can\u2019t write about it, I want to bring in someone who can: my friend Mariellen Ward. She\u2019d a travel writer who has been going to India since 2005 and runs the website Breathedreamgo<\/a>. We\u2019ve known each other since 2010. Today, she\u2019s going to share some tips on how to visit India for first-time visitors. <\/em><\/p>\n

I will never forget my first time visiting India. My first car trip in Delhi felt like a roller-coaster ride. Cars and trucks of every size, overloaded bicycles and motorcycles, and even the occasional bullock cart, seemed to be coming at me from every direction. No one was paying any attention to lanes or the rules of the road. Vehicles were driving the wrong way. I couldn\u2019t make sense of what was happening.<\/p>\n

I had heard about the \u201csensory overload\u201d travelers feel in India, and now I was experiencing it. It was exciting and nerve-wracking in equal measure. And just a taste of things to come. <\/p>\n

I spent six months crisscrossing the subcontinent on my first trip, back in 2005 and was often overwhelmed by the huge crowds, the foreign traditions, the perplexing bureaucracy, the mind-boggling complexity, and the bewildering culture shock.<\/p>\n

These things combined make India a challenging \u2014 though very exciting and rewarding \u2014destination. <\/p>\n

However, if you read and follow these travel tips for first-time visitors, they could help smooth out some of the more disorienting bumps. <\/p>\n

1. Slow down<\/h3>\n

It takes time and some know-how to successfully navigate in India. This is not a place for hurried travel. Don\u2019t try and see as much as you can; that is not the right approach. It\u2019s tiring to travel in India, and the object should be to experience it, not to check things off a list. <\/p>\n

As a general rule, for every two weeks you are in India, pick one region. For a one-month trip, just pick two regions \u2014 say, two weeks in Rajasthan<\/a> and two weeks in Kerala<\/a>. You can even sit in one place and still not miss anything. No matter what, if you are in India, you will experience India. <\/p>\n

2. Adjust your attitude<\/h3>\n

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Likewise, accept that things will not go as planned. Cultivate the philosophy that things happen the way they are supposed to, not the way they are planned. This attitude can lead to the most marvelous adventures. <\/p>\n

3. Be careful who you trust<\/h3>\n

Having said that it\u2019s a good idea to be open, a healthy level of skepticism also comes in really handy in India. There are many con men there, especially in the travel and hospitality sector. They have a sixth sense for first-time visitors and will try and take advantage. <\/p>\n

So, learn the prices by asking locals and other travelers before negotiating with auto-rickshaw drivers and market vendors. Don\u2019t believe drivers \u2014 or random people you come across at airports, train stations, and tourist attractions \u2014 who tell you things such as your hotel burned down, or the train you want was canceled. <\/p>\n

Often, an opportunity to make money off of you will spur creative tactics, and some of these scams can easily catch you off guard. Once, I was looking for a new iPhone case and the vendor showed me one and told me it was made by Apple. But a close look revealed four spelling mistakes in one short sentence engraved inside the case.<\/p>\n

4. Practice safe travel<\/h3>\n

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There are also anecdotal reports of women being molested, especially in busy, crowded places. Follow basic precautions and safe travel strategies, and use common sense in India. <\/p>\n

Here are several safety travel tips (please read my top tips for women traveling in India<\/a> for more details):<\/p>\n