Incredible India: How to Plan for the Trip of Your Lifetime

March 24, 2022December 2, 2020 by samanthashea

Parvati Valley, India. Photo by the Author

Incredible India

How to Get Ready For the Trip of Your Lifetime

Parvati Valley, India Photo by Samantha Shea

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The popular nickname Incredible India is no misnomer– India is undoubtedly one of the most incredible countries in the world. With over 1 billion people, thousands of languages, and abounding with varying cultures and religions, India is not just another country; it’s a world of its own.

When I was a child, I became absolutely infatuated with India. I read books, learned as much as I could about Hinduism, rented videos from my local library, and forced my family to frequent our local Indian restaurants. Though it took me slightly over a decade, I finally made it to the subcontinent in 2018.

India isn’t just a place though– it’s a truly life-changing experience. But I’ll be the first to admit that this massive land isn’t the easiest country to travel through. In fact, I personally consider it even more challenging to explore than Pakistan, which is something that I definitely did not expect!

Though chaotic and difficult at times, India is intoxicating in the best way possible. And while its neighboring nations might bear some similarities, there is truly nowhere that is exactly like India.

Map Your Trip to India

The thing about India though is that it’s worth every second. It’s a place where any low you may encounter will be followed by a once-in-a-lifetime experience, where people treat you like long-lost relatives coming home for a visit, where cows roam amongst the streets, and even the most insanely haphazard traffic somehow flows.

I’ve now visited India 3 times, spent a total of 111 days exploring this massive nation, and have been lucky enough to see a number of the nation’s 29 states. I’ve visited the lush mountain paradise Parvati Valley, trekked to the start of the Ganges River, and managed my way through the crazy city of New Delhi … and I’ve barely scratched the surface. Discovering India is truly an adventure that could last a lifetime.

Nevertheless, I’ll be the first to tell you that I was woefully unprepared for my first trip. I knew and learned a ton about the country in general in my younger years, but failed to properly research again as a newbie backpacker back in 2018.

Luckily, I learned from my mistakes and went into full-on preparation mode before returning two separate times in 2019. It’s important to prepare before any trip, but doing the research before a trip to India is KEY. It completely changed the quality of my trip, and informed me of epic places I never would have known had I not put in the time.

Top Recommendations

I’ve compiled the best resources to help you be as ready for your first time in India as you possibly can be. In no particular order, here’s what you can utilize to make your first time in India unforgettable.

Backpackers and Travelers India Facebook Group

I absolutely love this group, and it’s truly a blessing that it exists. This FaceBook group is composed of, you guessed it– backpackers and travelers looking to explore India. The majority of the group’s members are in fact Indian, and they’re all happy to help foreigners with various questions and concerns. This group is also the sole reason that I found out about my favorite place in the whole country (so far), a place that I discovered by asking about hidden beaches. The group members delivered, and because of a few helpful folks I was put on to Guhagar Beach, a picturesque, quiet beach town in Maharashtra state that was exactly what I was looking for. This group is also a great place to connect with other like-minded travelers or even find hosts if you so desire.

IndiaMike

IndiaMike is a long-standing travel forum where travelers can ask about anything and everything related to travel in India. Admittedly, the site was at its most popular in the early 2000’s, but I still found heaps of useful info. The forum is still active today, and you can definitely post any questions that you may have. The archives are also a great place to find tips and tricks that are still relevant, especially regarding Indian trains– an iconic form of transportation that hasn’t changed much in decades!

Duolingo Hindi

While English is widely spoken in India, it certainly doesn’t hurt to know some basics in India’s official language, Hindi. I was thrilled to discover that Hindi is featured on Duolingo, the best language learning app that’s also free! The app starts out by teaching you the Hindi letters and then moves on to actual words and sentences. Knowing basic phrases in Hindi is super useful for communicating in different settings, especially in more remote or rural areas of the country where English might not be as prevalent. Speaking a bit of Hindi will also give any local you meet a big smile, and might even make you a friend or two!

Vargis Khan Blog

This travel blog is an absolute MUST READ if you plan on traveling to Spiti Valley or Ladakh, two mountainous regions in northern India that are both mesmerizingly beautiful. Vargis Khan has the most up-to-date information on everything from bus times, road closures, where to stay, and everything else you can imagine in these remote regions. I continuously referenced (and screenshotted) this blog as I prepared for my journey to what’s known as India’s Little Tibet.

Hippie-in-Heels Blog

This is the first travel blog I ever really read, shortly after I came back from my extremely under-prepared first India trip. To this day, it’s the most comprehensive India travel blog on the internet and is one resource you shouldn’t skip. From visas, to trains, to avoiding food poisoning, to literally everything you need to know about India’s incredibly popular beach state Goa— Hippie-in-Heels truly has it all. The owner of the blog, who lived in India for years, has also created several in-depth e-books that you can purchase for even more insider-information.

Shantaram

Shantaram is the best book I’ve read in my life, and it just happens to be the best book on India. Though listed as a novel, the book is almost completely true and based on the author’s surreal experiences whilst living in Mumbai, India in the 1980’s. While not a travel guide, the book describes India so vividly it’s as if you’re watching a movie rather than reading. What’s more, many of the places discussed by the author still exist. If you plan to visit Mumbai, there’s no better way to do so than through a Shantaram-inspired itinerary.

@_citytales Instagram Page

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An Instagram page… what? Yup! This incredible page showcases India’s rich history through often-forgotten mosques, tombs, fortresses, and more. What’s best is that it highlights the offbeat places, which is something I absolutely love. Every time I checked it out, I found out about a new must-visit site in the subcontinent. If you want to see pieces of India’s history sans crowds, you should absolutely spend some time on _citytales. I discovered numerous old mosques and cities that I never would have heard of otherwise, including Tonk, the only Muslim majority town in the state of Rajasthan.

City of Djinns by William Dalrymple

Penned by William Dalrymple, a famous historian, this memoir was an absolutely fantastic read prior to visiting New Delhi, India’s capital and most chaotic city. Though Delhi can be challenging at first glance, City of Djinns will give you some great ideas on where to head to get the best out of this historic city.

Plan your Trip to India

I hope you find some of these resources useful as you plan your first trip to India! If you have any specific questions, don’t hesitate to reach out as I’d be happy to help: [email protected]

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This guest post was contributed by Samantha Shea at Intentional Detours

We love to learn from our guest writers and appreciate their expertise! Visit her website by clicking on the image or name below.

samanthashea

Hippo lover, Asia addict, budget backpacker, and off-beat travel enthusiast- Samantha enjoys traveling to and writing about places that other tourists don’t. Originally from Connecticut in the US, she spent 5 years living in Miami, and now considers the world her place of residence. Samantha is the face behind Intentional Detours Travel Blog, which focuses on her backpacking adventures in South Asia. You can also find her on Instagram and Twitter.

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The 10 Top Picks to Craft Your Perfect Pakistan Tour

April 8, 2022November 29, 2020 by samanthashea

10 Top Picks to Craft Your Perfect Pakistan Tour

Lassi Stand in Lahore, Pakistan Photo by Samantha Shea

Though the country might be touted as a difficult place to explore as a foreigner, with enough preparation and some prior travel experience, virtually anyone can enjoy Pakistan. Which, trust me– will not be hard to do! In this article I’ll show you how to craft the perfect Pakistan tour on your own. You’ll discover the ten best resources to prepare for your trip to Pakistan.

I remember when I first learned that travel to Pakistan was possible. My boyfriend and I had recently returned home from India, and we happened upon a documentary detailing Pakistan’s famous mountains. I was in awe. It was truly like no other place I’d ever seen.

After a bit of googling, I soon came across numerous videos, blogs, and forums that proved that while numbers were still low, many travelers were in fact heading to Pakistan.

Considering we were both already into offbeat travel, Pakistan sounded like the perfect addition to a trip we were planning for the following year. In the months that followed, I spent hours upon hours researching, reading, watching, and planning for our Pakistani backpacking adventure.

The 10 top resources to help you create your perfect Pakistan tour

The four months (thus far) that I’ve spent in Pakistan have given me the greatest adventures of my life. This frequently ignored nation has delicious food, epic historical sites, some of the most incredible views I could ever hope to see, and most notably, a welcoming citizenry that was more hospitable than any other group of people I’ve come across.

Nevertheless, it’s certainly not a country that I recommend showing up to completely unprepared. The seemingly endless amount of content I consumed prior to arriving not only psyched me up for the trip, but also gave me background knowledge about everything from religious norms to must-visit places to holidays I shouldn’t miss. The pre-trip research I did on travel in Pakistan helped me get as local an experience as possible, which is something I strive for whilst backpacking.

So without further ado, here are all the resources I used to plan my trip to Pakistan, with each one making a notably positive impact on my travels!

1. Backpacking Pakistan Facebook Group

This Backpacking Pakistan Facebook group was absolutely essential in planning my trip. As there isn’t much general information about traveling Pakistan on the internet, this group was quite a godsend! While the group is private, anyone can join. There are now over 5,000 members and it serves as a perfect place where past, present, and future Pakistan travelers can share tips, information, and of course, ask questions.

I asked tons of questions in the months preceding my trip and while traveling. Recommendations from fellow travelers led me to numerous stand-out guesthouses and to places like Upper Chitral, a beautiful and remote region of the country that I would never have known about otherwise. The group is also great for finding other travelers to go TO Pakistan with or to meet up with while you’re there.

A great benefit of Facebook groups is that posts are in real time. While the majority of Pakistan is open for foreigners to travel in, there are certain areas (such as most of Balochistan and the former FATA region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) that are off-limits. I was able to keep up on recent updates, and members of the group steered me in the right direction about areas where I could and could not travel.

2. Central Asia and the Old Silk Road

The Caravanistan website is famous in the travel community for the copious amount of information they have on traveling through Central Asia and the Old Silk Road. They also have a section on Pakistan, which provided me with great facts and tips when I was applying for my visa.

At the time, Pakistan had recently started an online visa portal. Caravanistan’s Pakistan forum had consistent updates on this new system, as well as recent reports of visa experiences at various embassies. Caravanistan also has updates on border crossings, including reports from obscure borders such as the Pakistan-Afghanistan Torkham Border.

3. Local Pakistani Restaurant

I highly recommend visiting your local Pakistani restaurant or food store prior to your trip. Pakistani hospitality is not limited to the inside of the country. I’ve met so many nice Pakistani ex-pats at various restaurants that I’ve visited around my hometown.

Visiting a restaurant allowed me to try the food before arriving (it’s delicious and distinct from Indian cuisine), as well as get to talk to and receive advice from someone about their home. As I am also learning Urdu (Pakistan’s national language) this was also a great place to brush up on my language skills!

4. Urdu Daily News

While I found the BBC Urdu Daily News particularly interesting for learning Urdu, it’s also useful for keeping up on current events in Pakistan. I’ve found out about new places or communities to visit through the daily broadcast (also available on YouTube BBCUrdu), and have become more aware of what’s happening on the ground.

Though BBC tends to be the least biased as far as Pakistani news goes, Dawn.com is a local English newspaper that I also read periodically. Of course, the fact that it’s in English makes it accessible to travelers as well.

5. Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Forum

The Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Forum might be the best travel resource on the internet, especially for offbeat places like Pakistan. While it has unfortunately been archived (so no new questions can be asked), there’s a wealth of information on travel in Pakistan.

It is easy to get lost on this forum, but a quick search through it will undoubtedly teach you about new places (especially treks) that you may never have heard of.

6. Urdu Seekhiye Podcast

The Urdu Seekhiye Podcast is the best out there for learning Urdu. While English is incredibly widely spoken in Pakistan, connecting with people in their mother tongue not only leads to deeper relationships but can also allow you to communicate with more people. While a high percentage of Pakistanis do speak English, many do not, especially in more rural areas.

This podcast is hosted by Shireen, and is very well done. I highly recommend it to any Pakistan travelers, as it’s free and covers useful language basics and cultural essentials.

7. Online Urdu Language Course

While every resource I’ve used has been helpful, none has made such a difference in my life as Naveed. He’s a professional Urdu teacher with decades of experience. I discovered him through the Backpacking Pakistan Facebook group that I mentioned above. He’s a skilled teacher, and in only 21 hours of lessons (thus far) I’ve gone from knowing virtually no Urdu to now being able to have some conversations and understanding tons of grammar!

Naveed’s teaching methods are second to none, and he’s friendly and encouraging. I highly, HIGHLY encourage anyone who is serious about travel to Pakistan to learn some Urdu, and Naveed is the best way to do so. While podcasts and free YouTube resources are great supplements, nothing compares to face-to-face (virtual) instruction with someone who actually lives in Pakistan.

8. See You in Pakistan Facebook Group

While Backpacking Pakistan is mostly foreigners, the See You in Pakistan Facebook group is primarily Pakistanis who love to travel. The group is a great place to find travel inspiration. I’ve already added multiple places to my bucket list directly from this group, including Mastij Lake and Kooh Lake, both of which are in Swat Valley. It’s a great place to get inspired by travel photography from Pakistan’s most epic places.

See You in Pakistan is also a great way to connect with locals and is especially helpful if you want to find people to travel with to places that are more difficult to access, like Hingol National Park.

9. Migrationology- Lahore Food Tour

This Migrationology-Lahore Food Tour Youtube channel is one of the most popular as far as food vlogging goes, and it certainly helped me have some great foodie experiences while I was in the city of Lahore. While I certainly encourage wandering around and trying whatever food you find, I personally didn’t want to miss any hidden gems in a city as big as Lahore. This video is a must-watch to get a sense for what awaits in this incredible locale.

10. Pakistan Traveller by Tim Blight

Despite all the useful online resources, it’s helpful to have something on hand in times of no internet. The Pakistan Traveler guidebook is one of a kind, and it’s recently updated. It led me to new historical places that I had never heard of and is chock-full of useful information that can only be gathered through years of exploration, as the author has done!

Plan your personal Pakistan tour

I hope you end up finding these resources as useful as I did as you plan your trip to Pakistan. The country has absolutely stolen my heart and I am currently planning a return trip back! Don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions, I’d be happy to help. Email: [email protected]