10 things I learned on my first trip to India

India was my number one travel dream for 2023, but after repeatedly hearing how ‘exhilarating and exhausting’ it is I was a little nervous before getting on the plane. Was I really ready for this? Turns out I was. Here are ten things I learned as I was falling in love at first visit. 

A most welcome assault on the senses.

Don’t even think about driving 

We’ve all seen the crazy traffic in India scenes in movies but nothing really prepares you for the live show. As our guide told us, traffic lanes are just a suggestion and the three things drivers need are ‘good horns, good breaks and good luck’.   If you’re not already on a tour, be sure to book a driver to get around. And if travelling by bus try to get the front seat to see what your driver is dealing with at least once. At times I felt like we were in a high intensity Frogger arcade game with a cast of trucks, cars, buses, bikes, tuk tuks, cows, goats, donkeys, dogs, and the occasional camel all going in directions I had no way of predicting. Expect adrenalin spikes and a lot of ‘I can’t believe that just happened’ fun. 

When it’s hot it’s HOT 

Summers in Rajasthan can hit 45 degrees and even in late September the heat and humidity had me chasing shade. I now know why winter is the most popular time to travel but that said, I loved India so much I’d jump at the chance to go back any time of year. 

Welcome to Indian traffic.

But the food doesn’t have to be 

If you like spicy food, remember that you are in a country with chillies that are so hot they’re used as weapons by the military. Ease very, very gently into raising your spice levels if you like hot food. But there’s no need to be scared if you’re like me and can’t handle a lot of heat. At no point did I have to reach for the ‘fire extinguisher’ yoghurt and my delicate taste buds were free to savour the depths of flavour in every delicious dish. 

It’s very easy to get very spoilt 

Luxury hotels in India know how to make you feel like royalty and by the end of our Abercrombie & Kent tour being showered with rose petals and greeted with welcoming rituals for our health, wellbeing and happiness became our new way of life.  While some hotels just call themselves palaces, others really did start life that way. In the case of our final hotel, the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, it’s still the home of the Jodhpur royal family who live in a private quarter and you may even see His Highness, Maharaja Gaj Singh walking its halls. Or if you’re lucky like us, be invited to join him for a drink. 

Imagine being greeted like this at an Aussie hotel.

Indian airports are an experience 

Especially domestic airports where you may have stand your ground to keep your place in a jostling queue.  In India men can stroll through a standard metal detector in security but women have their own, much longer, queue as they need to have a metal detector wand check behind a curtain. Breathe. Be patient. And allow extra time to get through.  

Guides are tout repellents 

On the way in and out of tourist attractions including forts and palaces tourists have to run the gauntlet of touts trying to sell their wares. While we were still approached by some, I didn’t realise what a protective shield our guide threw up until I looked back at the tourists who didn’t have one. Think a mid-scandal celebrity trying to walk through a paparazzi scrum and you’re almost there. 

A guide can be a godsend.

Miniature paintings are not always small

They can be huge. And fascinating. At the City Palace Museum in Udaipur you can see paintings change perspective depending on where you’re standing, and see just how intricate the details can be when artists make brushstrokes with single hairs from a squirrel’s tail. 

Don’t eat before a massage 

The only time I was sick in India was self-inflicted through a combination of two wonderful things: a delicious meal and a luxurious spa treatment. I have learnt the hard way to check if a massage includes strong hands working on your stomach and skipping lunch if it does. 

Indian wine is delish. Who knew?

Try the Indian wine 

When it comes to wine with your meal, go local. India produces around 24 million bottles of wine a year including Shiraz, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. I’ll admit I’d never tried an Indian wine before but I was soon asking for local drops at dinner. 

Factor in some rest time 

With so much to take in India can lead to sensory overload. Make sure to allow for some quiet time to absorb and process it all both while you’re there and when you get home too. And embrace every moment of being outside of your comfort zone. 

The writer travelled as a guest of Abercrombie & Kent. 

Originally published as 10 things I learned on my first trip to India