When I arrived in India with 8 weeks to look around, I had no idea where to go other than start from the bottom and 'work my way up' - wherever that would take me. I've since been asked by a lot of people what I did and where I went whilst I was in India, so I thought maybe I could give an idea for others in the planning stages of their trip with my itinerary and what I did when I was in India!
As it was my first time in India, I found it really beneficial to start in Kerala in the south of India, which is much more chilled out than the north, generally is a bit better off and more used to tourists than some of the smaller and less-visited states. It gave me a really good introduction to India without being too overwhelming and really helped me gain confidence for the rest of my time in India - I liked Kerala so much I went back again after already having left India (I'll also do a 2/3 week Kerala Itinerary soon!)
Although it was only 8 weeks, I never rushed anything and actually spent quite a lot of time in each place, so this could definitely be condensed into 6 weeks or less if you don't have as much time but still want to see everything, by just spending 2 or 3 days in each place.
Day 1-10: Kerala
I initially planned to spend 2 days in Kochi before moving on to Goa, but I met a great bunch of people and ended up staying for 6 days! I wouldn't necessarily recommend spending so long in Kochi, but in a week in Kerala I would do:
Kochi - a sweet little port town. It is really well set up for tourists with loads of guesthouses, restaurants, shops and spas to keep everybody looked after. 2-3 days is enough to see everything Kochi has to offer - check out the famous Chinese Fishing Nets at sunset after cruising the backwaters all day or catch a Kathakali performance. Visit the Basilica, the Dutch Synagogue, and the Jewish cemetry before feasting on all of the delicious Keralan food you can fit in (I highly recommend Masala Dosa, Thali (a selection of curries with vegetables, rice and chapatti), Chili Gobi and Keralan fish fry.
I initially planned to spend 2 days in Kochi before moving on to Goa, but I met a great bunch of people and ended up staying for 6 days! I wouldn't necessarily recommend spending so long in Kochi, but in a week in Kerala I would do:
Kochi - a sweet little port town. It is really well set up for tourists with loads of guesthouses, restaurants, shops and spas to keep everybody looked after. 2-3 days is enough to see everything Kochi has to offer - check out the famous Chinese Fishing Nets at sunset after cruising the backwaters all day or catch a Kathakali performance. Visit the Basilica, the Dutch Synagogue, and the Jewish cemetry before feasting on all of the delicious Keralan food you can fit in (I highly recommend Masala Dosa, Thali (a selection of curries with vegetables, rice and chapatti), Chili Gobi and Keralan fish fry.
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| Banana Leaf Thali |
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| Chinese Fishing Nets, Kochi |
Alleppey - about an hour and a half south from Kochi, Alleppey (Alappuzha) is a beach town and a well-visited tourist destination, with tours of the backwaters being one of the most popular attractions in Kerala. If you did the backwaters in Kochi, I wouldn't recommend doing it twice, but if you didn't, you can book house boats in Alleppey and spend a day or two cruising the backwaters with your meals and drinks provided. Depending on how much time you have and what you want to do, you can spend anything from 2 - 7 days here. I spent 5 days just chilling on the beach at Sea Shore Homestay, who have their own private beach for you to relax on and enjoy.
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| Sunset on Alleppey Beach |
Munnar - a hill station a few hours east of Kochi. Such a hidden gem! We went here by motorbike and it was amazing. Munnar is absolutely beautiful and perfect for escaping the crazy towns and madness of India. Rolling tea plantations surround you on all sides, Mattupetty Dam is stunning and a popular spot for photographers. There are waterfalls and many view points to stop and admire the scenery, the area is also popular for hikers with trekking trails scattered around the hillside. Anything between 2-4 days is enough here.
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| Miles of tea in Munnar |
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| Mattupetty Dam |
Day 11-20 Goa & Hampi
Some people spend weeks in Goa alone, but if you are on a schedule and have a lot to see, I'd recommend 5-7 days to see it and enjoy some beach time before moving on.
I was in Goa in off-season, so haven't experienced the psy trance parties of Anjuna, but I spent about 6 days on Palolem beach with friends just eating, sunbathing and having bonfires on the beach. Palolem is beautiful and a great beach for just chilling out. My plan was to go to Palolem and then to Anjuna with a stop in Hampi inbetween, but I got stuck in Hampi and missed Anjuna but it's definitely an in-season destination and I'm sure I'll make it there eventually!
I was in Goa in off-season, so haven't experienced the psy trance parties of Anjuna, but I spent about 6 days on Palolem beach with friends just eating, sunbathing and having bonfires on the beach. Palolem is beautiful and a great beach for just chilling out. My plan was to go to Palolem and then to Anjuna with a stop in Hampi inbetween, but I got stuck in Hampi and missed Anjuna but it's definitely an in-season destination and I'm sure I'll make it there eventually!
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| Palolem Beach |
From most of the beaches in Goa you can take a night bus to Hampi, a small town in the state of Karnataka. Hampi was definitely one of my favourite places in India and somewhere I recommend to absolutely everybody. With a really chilled out vibe, loads of chilled restaurants with beautiful views and great food, temples, rock formations and lakes, Hampi has a bit of everything. On my first night I met a guy who told me he was going climbing the next morning, and I had no clue what he meant, but he offered to take me and so I went along. Turns out Hampi is famous for bouldering - basically just climbing up the rocks with no ropes and a crash mat. As the rocks get too hot in the day, everybody goes at sunrise, which means no matter how shit you are at climbing, you get the most amazing view of sunrise over the temples and plains of Hampi. I went three times and was still crap, but it's definitely a lot of fun and the guys who do it are incredible (I recommend going to Tom & Jerry's climbing shop and speaking to them and Sunny). I spent about 5 days in Hampi and could easily have stayed longer exploring the ruins, buzzing about on a scooter (as terrifying as that was for someone who is inherently afraid to drive) and singing songs at Sunset Point... Hampi is not to be missed!
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| Virupaksha Temple, Hampi |
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| Hampi Sunsets |
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| Sunrise climbing sessions |
Day 21 - 41 Mumbai & Rajasthan
If big cities aren't your thing, you can miss Mumbai off this and just head straight on to Rajasthan, but I really wanted to see Mumbai and it didn't disappoint. It is such a bustling city with loads of energy and lots of places to go and things to see. I'd recommend stopping there just to experience it and see it!
From Mumbai head to Rajasthan which is the state where you'll probably spend most of your time and definitely the most interesting state. The route I took through was:
Jaipur - Pushkar - Jodhpur - Jaisalmer & Thar Desert - Udaipur
I can't speak for Jaipur, as I got sick there and spent 2 days in the hospital, but I've heard from lots of people that it isn't the best place in Rajasthan and the tuktuk drivers here have a reputation for being the most pushy and scamming.
Pushkar is amazing and is a super laid back little town, with a pretty lake in the middle and loads of rooftop cafes and restaurants with views over it and the neighbouring towns. Loads of little shops and cafes and a really slow pace make Pushkar a really good place for some chill time, especially if you're coming from the busy Jaipur (or recovering from Typhoid...).
Jodhpur (otherwise known as the Blue City) is also sweet although I wouldn't recommend as much time here as it definitely doesn't have the same sort of vibe as Pushkar and is more just a tourist stopover to take photos and see the blue buildings.
Jaisalmer (also known as the Golden City) was one of my favourite stops. The city itself is absolutely stunning, characterised by its yellow stone buildings and the impressive fort. Stay in a guesthouse within the fort walls (I can highly recommend Shiva's Guesthouse). I arrived off the nightbus from Jodhpur and whilst the girls went for a nap, Shiva took me with him to his morning prayer rituals in the 2 temples next to his guesthouse. Through Shiva you can book the camel trek into the Thar Desert, which was genuinely one of the best experiences of my travels. The guides we went with were so lovely and always making us laugh, singing and they are incredible cooks! We paid about 1600 rupees (about £16) for 1 night 2 days and I absolutely loved it. Going to sleep under the stars in the middle of the Thar Desert and then being woken up by the guides with a cup of chai just as the sun was rising... ahhh it was just amazing - I definitely a must do!
After Jaisalmer, we made our way to Udaipur. Udaipur is beautiful! You can easily spend 3 days just walking round and enjoying the views. There is a big lake in the middle which is gorgeous and houses a 5* hotel in the middle. The lake side at sunset provides beautiful views or you can take the cable car (Mansapurna Karni Mata Rope Way) up to the Karni Mata temple, which affords beautiful views over the city.
Day 42 - 56 Varanasi, Agra, Rishikesh, Delhi
Ok so I didn't make it to Varanasi in my trip as it was Diwali and every single bus/train/car/camel was booked up and it was impossible for us to get there. But I will go. And if you're there when it isn't Diwali and you can go, then go. I've heard from everybody how incredible it is. The true spiritual home of India, filled with religion, cows and crazy stuff, it is what we dream of when we picture India. Everybody I've met who went to Varanasi planned to go for 2 days and stayed much much longer, so I guess you have to wing that one on how long you want to stay.
Agra is a no brainer - you can't go to India and not see the Taj Mahal, (I wrote about some of the people who don't like to go in my previous post 7 Tips for Travel in India), but it was definitely a highlight of India. It is simply stunning. You only really need a day here. We took a night bus in, found a guesthouse where we were able to take showers and store our bags (you're not allowed to take bags into the Taj Mahal and there are no lockers so definitely find a room to keep your stuff!) and then went to the Taj at around 2 and stayed until after sunset, went for dinner and then jumped on a night bus out. Some people stay for 2 days to be able to see a sunrise and sunset, but sunset was enough for me - it's all down to what you want! :)
From Agra, we went to Rishikesh which I absolutely adored. We stayed at Mama's Guesthouse in Laxman Jhula ('up the hill'), and Mama is the most adorable lady in India and also makes the best veg thali for only 70 rupees (ask her to put pumpkin in!). I stayed for 5 days, mainly just wandering around and enjoying the scenery and the food. We went white water rafting down the Ganges on the first day of Diwali which was incredible and ended with us jumping out of the raft and swimming in the bright blue water of the Himalayan Ganges which was freeeeeezing cold but such an amazing experience! We also watched a lighting ceremony at sunset on the banks of the Ganges - this happens every single day and I highly recommend it, it was just extra special to be there for Diwali. Other than that we just walked around, did some little walks into the hills and up to the waterfalls and chilled out. Rishikesh is a really laid back place (as are most places I've written about, apparently...). It has beautiful scenery all around it and really friendly people and great food - with a lot of Nepalese influence and the north Indian food differs a lot from the Masala Dosas of the south!
From Rishikesh it was on to my last stop: the wonderful and feared Delhi. So many people told me horror stories of their time in Delhi, from just generally not wanting to leave their hostels to being grabbed and scammed in Connaught Square, people didn't have a lot of good to say about it. I decided to couchsurf in Delhi as a way of making myself feel a bit better about it, and it was a great decision. Although as soon as I arrived in Delhi, I felt the fear subside as I sat at a chai stand on the side of the road outside the station and smoked a beedi and drank a chai as the locals looked on in amazement and laughed at me before offering direction on where I needed to go to find my host. My second day in Delhi, I was really lucky as a friend of my Dad's offered to show me around, and drove me around to all of the sights all day. It was so lovely of her and I got to see all of the amazing architecture and bazaars without really having to put much effort in at all. I'd definitely recommend getting out and seeing Delhi, it can be frightening to go out into such a big city by yourself, but keep your wits about you and face it with a smile and you'll be absolutely fine and have the best end to your 8 weeks of India!
Pushkar is amazing and is a super laid back little town, with a pretty lake in the middle and loads of rooftop cafes and restaurants with views over it and the neighbouring towns. Loads of little shops and cafes and a really slow pace make Pushkar a really good place for some chill time, especially if you're coming from the busy Jaipur (or recovering from Typhoid...).
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| Sunset over Pushkar Lake |
Jaisalmer (also known as the Golden City) was one of my favourite stops. The city itself is absolutely stunning, characterised by its yellow stone buildings and the impressive fort. Stay in a guesthouse within the fort walls (I can highly recommend Shiva's Guesthouse). I arrived off the nightbus from Jodhpur and whilst the girls went for a nap, Shiva took me with him to his morning prayer rituals in the 2 temples next to his guesthouse. Through Shiva you can book the camel trek into the Thar Desert, which was genuinely one of the best experiences of my travels. The guides we went with were so lovely and always making us laugh, singing and they are incredible cooks! We paid about 1600 rupees (about £16) for 1 night 2 days and I absolutely loved it. Going to sleep under the stars in the middle of the Thar Desert and then being woken up by the guides with a cup of chai just as the sun was rising... ahhh it was just amazing - I definitely a must do!
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| Jonny the camel and I |
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| the best way to wake up |
Day 42 - 56 Varanasi, Agra, Rishikesh, Delhi
Ok so I didn't make it to Varanasi in my trip as it was Diwali and every single bus/train/car/camel was booked up and it was impossible for us to get there. But I will go. And if you're there when it isn't Diwali and you can go, then go. I've heard from everybody how incredible it is. The true spiritual home of India, filled with religion, cows and crazy stuff, it is what we dream of when we picture India. Everybody I've met who went to Varanasi planned to go for 2 days and stayed much much longer, so I guess you have to wing that one on how long you want to stay.
Agra is a no brainer - you can't go to India and not see the Taj Mahal, (I wrote about some of the people who don't like to go in my previous post 7 Tips for Travel in India), but it was definitely a highlight of India. It is simply stunning. You only really need a day here. We took a night bus in, found a guesthouse where we were able to take showers and store our bags (you're not allowed to take bags into the Taj Mahal and there are no lockers so definitely find a room to keep your stuff!) and then went to the Taj at around 2 and stayed until after sunset, went for dinner and then jumped on a night bus out. Some people stay for 2 days to be able to see a sunrise and sunset, but sunset was enough for me - it's all down to what you want! :)
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| posin' |
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| White-water Rafting down the Ganges |
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| Safdarjung's Tomb, Delhi. |
I hope this helps a bit in where to go, if you'd like specifics or more details on any of the places or what to do in certain places, let me know and I'll help as much as I can, or if I should write a post on a specific town or city do let me know! :)
Labels: 8weeks in india, backpacking, blog, explore, female travel, India, itinerary, kerala, lonely planet, solo travel, taj mahal, travel, travel blog, travel tips, travel writing, wanderlust
