India - the land of rickshaws, rajas, roti, and more. It's both a wonderful, and in some cases, challenging and stressful country to visit. In spite of some harrowing experiences there, India occupies a place near to my heart.
I wrote this book to help foreign tourists to India have a safe and enjoyable trip that is so wonderful that they'll have a deep desire to return to India, either physically, or through fond memories of the journey. (Let's face it; fond memories are much better than nightmares!)
This book is different than most India travel guides in that while it includes some information on places to stay and things to do and see, it focuses more on how to thoroughly enjoy the trip, how to stay safe, and how to enjoy the deeper cultural aspects of India that may be missed by most tourists.
While practical in nature, it is also part memoir, as sharing my own experiences is one way to help you know what to expect when you make your own visit to India.
Who Should Read This Book
This book is for any foreigner interested in traveling to India, or who wants to "travel" to India without actually leaving home. The stories I share provide a way for you to experience India vicariously, and the practical tips will help you experience India in a safe and enjoyable manner should you ever have an opportunity to travel to India.
Consider this book to be a companion book to books such as Lonely Planet guides. Lonely Planet guides provide the nuts and bolts of travel to India, and this book provides the paint to make them beautiful.
This Book is for You if You:
Want to travel to India but aren't sure how safe it is (or isn't)
Plan to travel to India with children, and want to know how to make it an enjoyable and safe experience for them
Are interested in some of the cultural and religious aspects of India that you may not get in some of the other books on India travel that you read
Want to know what to eat, what to avoid eating, and how to cook some amazing Indian food yourself in your own kitchen at home
Need information on how to take care of paperwork, immunizations, and what to pack
In short, it's for any person who isn't from India who wants to travel to India or is interested in India and wants to learn more about it.
How this Book is Structured
This book is broken into the following 10 sections:
#1: The Top Indian Scams and How to Avoid Them.
#2: Health and Safety. You really don't want to die in India, do you? Follow these tips, and you'll have nothing to worry about!
#3: Food. Food safety issues, my experience with cooking in India, and some Indian recipes you can make at home.
#4: Shopping. India is a bargain hunter's paradise, with many amazing things you'll want to buy.
#5: Family Life in India. This section is specifically for couples and families traveling to India.
#6: Religion. Religion is an inescapable aspect of life in India. In this section I cover the major religions in India, and religious etiquette.
#7: Culture. How to be polite and avoid offending people, as well as some of the deeper aspects of Indian culture such as arranged marriages.
#8: Holidays. There are many festivals that are focused on various gods and goddesses, and I cover a few of the main ones. I also cover some of my experiences of attempting to celebrate American holidays while in India, and in one case the mildly disastrous outcome of doing so.
#9: Places to Stay, Things to Do.
#10: Masala. Masalas in India are generally mixtures of spices. A little bit of this, and a little bit of that, blended together to give a delicious and distinctive flavor. I called this section, "masala" because it is a hodgepodge section with information that doesn't neatly fit into any of the other sections.
What are you waiting for? Scroll up to the top of this page and click on the buy button.
