India: Travel Survival Kit

A couple months ago I decided to go travelling. I wasn't really sure where to, I just needed a change. In the end I decided on India, because I've never been, and I'd always heard what a great place it was to go. I didn't take much; a backpack, some clothes, and the Lonely Planet Guide to India. To be honest, I didn't even start reading it until I got on the plane. What I discovered was that it wasn't just something you read once, it's something to have with you the whole time. Whatever your plans, the chances are you're going to lose your way or make mistakes or just change your mind, and that's where this book is essential. It's like The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy - no matter what need you're in, it has an answer for you. Maps, essential sites, local customs, everything you need to get by in this incredible country. At first, I wasn't sure if I could manage by myself. You realise how much you rely on other people for so much. I found myself retreating, thinking about home, wanting to go back. But then I'd pick up the Lonely Planet, and find something to do, somewhere to go. And soon I was relying on it less and less, and after a while, hardly at all. Before I knew it, I'd been gone two months and hadn't thought about home in weeks. The book isn't India, it's a way in. Over the course of my time away, the only thing I came back with that I took with me was this book; everything else I left behind; I realised in the end nothing else really mattered.

Best overview on India. If you want more in depth you need to buy books related to a particular subject. This book gives an overview on everything Indian. Really important resource for a traveller in India.

It is almost a crime to try to fit a great country such as India into a one volume guidebook. However, being such the understandable proposition -- tourists are unlikely to want to carry many guides -- this guidebook does a very nice job of putting it all together. There are very interesting historical section which are often deeper than what one would get from a local tourist guide. It covers all the major attractions (at least in the places I visited) and gives the tourist a good idea about the culture, history and socio-economic conditions of the places being visited. The list of hotels, restaurants and places to go out at night is quite current, as of July 2006. It is the only guidebook I used in India, so I cannot compare, but this is quite a good guide that is unlikely to let you down.

If you plan to go to India whether on a guided tour or your own, get this book. I just got back from India, and this book had everything spot on. Our guide has been leading tours in India and Nepal for 12 years and said that he thought this was the best guide for India he's seen. You will enjoy the trip a lot more if you read up on the history, culture, and sections on each place you are visiting. Knowing what to expect will help you avoid the culture shock many people experience arriving in India. No guide has it all, and this one missed one thing. Do not mail anything from your hotel. The bell captains take the mail, steam off your stamp, and resell it. Unfortunately, we found out about this after we mailed our postcards.

When Lonely Planet India first appeared in 1981, it raised the standard for all India guidebooks in the comprehensiveness of locations covered and the detailed information useful to independent travelers, especially those on lower budgets. Twenty years later, it remains the guidebook I personally rely upon most, despite my familiarity with India from extensive travels since 1980 researching my historical novels such as India Treasures. I first learned about that wonderful nonprofit home-stay organization Servas from a Lonely Planet guide, which led to many of our best experiences in India, including lasting friendships. Although my wife and I aren't backpackers, and we're probably mid-range in terms of the amount we spend on accommodations and food, the book is extremely helpful. It's the most up to date and highly detailed regarding such information as transportation options within India, the scams travelers can encounter, and a wealth of other tips too numerous to get into in a brief review. Given the India guidebook's thickness and weight, I've found it convenient to cut it into sections and only take the parts with me for the regions I plan to visit. It's still desirable to get supplemental maps for any city or region one plans to spend much time in, as the maps in the book are usually pretty minimal in terms of detail. And other guidebooks do indeed have useful information this one doesn't (browse the travel shelves in your favorite bookstore to find the additional guides most suitable for your own interests and style of travel). I also advocate reading the better novels set in India, to experience insights into daily life that guidebooks can only hint at. No single guidebook on India can be all things to all persons for all occasions, but this one surely comes the closest, especially for travelers who don't have their arrangements taken care of on organized tours.