India – Personal Travel Studio

India is almost impossible to sum up in a few sentences.

It’s enormous, colourful, occasionally chaotic and completely fascinating, with extraordinary history, incredible food, beautiful hotels, wildlife, beaches and landscapes that change enormously as you travel through the country.

For a first visit, the famous Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur is an obvious starting point, bringing together some of India’s great sights including the Taj Mahal.

But India goes far beyond that classic route.

Head west to Mumbai and Goa, or south towards Kerala, and the experience changes completely.

We’ve spent time travelling through Mumbai, Goa, Cochin and Kerala ourselves, including the area around Periyar Tiger Reserve, and it’s the contrasts that stay with us.

India isn’t necessarily somewhere you simply visit.

It’s somewhere you experience.

Our travels in India

Our own journeys have taken us through very different sides of the country.

We’ve experienced the extraordinary energy and contrasts of Mumbai, travelled to Goa, explored Cochin and journeyed through the landscapes of Kerala and the Periyar area.

Some memories are of the headline sights.

Others are much simpler.

Watching Cochin’s enormous Chinese fishing nets being worked beside the water. Exploring Mumbai and seeing the enormous contrast between some of its wealthiest districts and its poorer communities. Walking beside Marine Drive, whose sweeping curve of lights has earned it the nickname the Queen’s Necklace.

India can be confronting at times.

But that’s part of travelling here. It’s a country of enormous contrasts, and we think experiencing some of those contrasts is much more interesting than trying to create a sanitised version of it.

Those journeys give us a personal starting point when discussing the south and west of India. We would build on that experience by asking what interests you most and how much variety you want within one holiday.

There should be time to absorb each place, enjoy the hotel and pause between the bigger experiences. The journey works best when the contrasts have room to unfold.

Why we love India

Why do we find India so fascinating?

Because of the contrasts.

We’ve experienced the energy and extremes of Mumbai, relaxed beside the sea in Goa, watched the fishing nets in Cochin and travelled through the greener landscapes around Kerala and Periyar.

Add the palaces, forts and extraordinary history of the north and you have a country where one journey can never really show you everything.

And perhaps that’s exactly the point.

India leaves you with plenty of reasons to return.

We also like the way a holiday here can follow a particular interest without becoming repetitive. Architecture might lead you from a great monument to an everyday street, while an interest in food can open conversations about the places and people around you.

The hotels deserve thought too. Somewhere comfortable to return to can help you enjoy a busy city, while a quieter setting can become part of the reason for travelling further.

For us, the appeal is the relationship between those memorable sights and the smaller moments around them. A thoughtfully paced journey gives both a place in the holiday.

Our India Picks

These six choices bring together the places described in our own travels and ideas for exploring further. Some work naturally within one journey, while others are better treated as the focus of a separate holiday.

The Golden Triangle: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur

For somebody visiting India for the first time, the Golden Triangle remains one of the great introductions.

Delhi immediately immerses you in India, with grand architecture, historic monuments, markets, food and the completely different personalities of Old and New Delhi.

From there, travel to Agra for one of the sights that needs very little introduction.

The Taj Mahal is one of those places where seeing countless photographs beforehand doesn’t diminish the experience of actually standing in front of it.

Then continue to Jaipur, Rajasthan’s famous Pink City, for palaces, forts, markets and another completely different atmosphere.

Delhi → Agra → Jaipur works brilliantly as a journey because each stop adds something new.

But we’d rarely see it as the limit of an India holiday.

Allow proper time in each city, with a guide who can bring the places into context. A comfortable pace leaves space for the everyday details that make the route more than a sequence of famous buildings.

The Golden Triangle: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur

For somebody visiting India for the first time, the Golden Triangle remains one of the great introductions.

Delhi immediately immerses you in India, with grand architecture, historic monuments, markets, food and the completely different personalities of Old and New Delhi.

From there, travel to Agra for one of the sights that needs very little introduction.

The Taj Mahal is one of those places where seeing countless photographs beforehand doesn’t diminish the experience of actually standing in front of it.

Then continue to Jaipur, Rajasthan’s famous Pink City, for palaces, forts, markets and another completely different atmosphere.

Delhi → Agra → Jaipur works brilliantly as a journey because each stop adds something new.

But we’d rarely see it as the limit of an India holiday.

Mumbai

Mumbai is another extraordinary introduction to urban India.

It’s energetic, crowded and full of contrasts.

There are grand colonial-era buildings, markets, restaurants and the famous Gateway of India, alongside modern development and some extraordinary wealth.

Then there are communities living in circumstances that couldn’t be more different.

We’ve explored different sides of Mumbai, including areas that introduce you to the reality of life within some of the city’s poorer communities.

Done sensitively and responsibly, understanding this side of Mumbai can be thought-provoking and very different from simply travelling between the major tourist sights.

Then there is Marine Drive.

As evening falls, the lights curve around the bay to form what is known as the Queen’s Necklace, another side of a city that seems constantly to change character.

We would allow time to explore thoughtfully, choosing visits that match your interests and respect the people who live there. A well located hotel and a manageable programme help you appreciate the city without rushing.

Mumbai

Mumbai is another extraordinary introduction to urban India.

It’s energetic, crowded and full of contrasts.

There are grand colonial-era buildings, markets, restaurants and the famous Gateway of India, alongside modern development and some extraordinary wealth.

Then there are communities living in circumstances that couldn’t be more different.

We’ve explored different sides of Mumbai, including areas that introduce you to the reality of life within some of the city’s poorer communities.

Done sensitively and responsibly, understanding this side of Mumbai can be thought-provoking and very different from simply travelling between the major tourist sights.

Then there is Marine Drive.

As evening falls, the lights curve around the bay to form what is known as the Queen’s Necklace, another side of a city that seems constantly to change character.

Goa

After India’s cities, Goa can provide a very welcome change of pace.

It’s known for its beaches, but there’s more to it than somewhere to stop and do nothing.

Portuguese influences remain visible in its architecture, churches and food, while different parts of Goa offer very different experiences.

It can be lively or peaceful depending on where you stay.

That’s why we’d look carefully at the location and hotel rather than treating Goa as one single beach destination.

After the intensity of an Indian touring itinerary, finishing beside the sea can work extremely well.

Think about the atmosphere you want around the hotel as well as the room itself. You may prefer somewhere with restaurants and local life nearby, or a quieter setting where the resort takes a larger role. Leave enough time to settle in after travelling, with a few outings if they appeal. The coast can become a worthwhile part of the journey in its own right.

Goa

After India’s cities, Goa can provide a very welcome change of pace.

It’s known for its beaches, but there’s more to it than somewhere to stop and do nothing.

Portuguese influences remain visible in its architecture, churches and food, while different parts of Goa offer very different experiences.

It can be lively or peaceful depending on where you stay.

That’s why we’d look carefully at the location and hotel rather than treating Goa as one single beach destination.

After the intensity of an Indian touring itinerary, finishing beside the sea can work extremely well.

Kerala and Periyar

Kerala introduces another India entirely.

The landscapes become greener and more tropical, and the pace can feel gentler.

We’ve spent time travelling through Kerala ourselves, including the area around Periyar Tiger Reserve, and it’s a part of India that works particularly well when you want nature and scenery alongside culture.

Periyar is about much more than whether you actually see a tiger.

The forests and wildlife are part of the wider experience, and this is somewhere we’d approach for the landscape and nature rather than promising a particular sighting.

Continue through Kerala and you can experience spice-growing areas, villages, waterways and a much slower rhythm of travel.

It’s a wonderful contrast to India’s major cities.

We would give this part of the journey enough space for the travelling as well as the experiences themselves. A quieter hotel and a carefully chosen nature outing can work together, with time to appreciate the surroundings instead of moving on immediately after a single visit.

Kerala and Periyar

Kerala introduces another India entirely.

The landscapes become greener and more tropical, and the pace can feel gentler.

Periyar is about much more than whether you actually see a tiger.

The forests and wildlife are part of the wider experience, and this is somewhere we’d approach for the landscape and nature rather than promising a particular sighting.

Continue through Kerala and you can experience spice-growing areas, villages, waterways and a much slower rhythm of travel.

It’s a wonderful contrast to India’s major cities.

Cochin and the Kerala backwaters

Cochin or Kochi – is one of the places we particularly remember.

Its history has left it with an unusual mix of influences, and it’s fascinating to explore on foot.

One of its most recognisable sights is the line of huge Chinese fishing nets beside the water.

Watching the nets being lowered and raised is incredibly simple compared with India’s palaces and monuments, but it is one of those scenes that immediately places you somewhere completely different.

From Cochin, Kerala’s famous backwaters introduce yet another pace.

Houseboats and waterways take you through a landscape of palms, villages and everyday life beside the water.

India doesn’t always have to be full-on.

Kerala proves that beautifully.

Consider how much time you want on the water and what sort of accommodation you enjoy. An excursion and a longer stay offer different rhythms. We would look at the whole experience, including the journeys between bases, so the gentler pace carries through the holiday.

Cochin and the Kerala backwaters

Cochin or Kochi – is one of the places we particularly remember.

Its history has left it with an unusual mix of influences, and it’s fascinating to explore on foot.

One of its most recognisable sights is the line of huge Chinese fishing nets beside the water.

From Cochin, Kerala’s famous backwaters introduce yet another pace.

Houseboats and waterways take you through a landscape of palms, villages and everyday life beside the water.

India doesn’t always have to be full-on.

Kerala proves that beautifully.

Rajasthan beyond Jaipur

Travellers drawn to the forts and palaces of Jaipur may want to give more of their holiday to Rajasthan. Jodhpur and Udaipur offer reasons to continue exploring, with distinct settings that bring further variety to a northern journey.

In Jodhpur, Mehrangarh Fort rises above the city, while the older streets provide a different perspective at ground level. Udaipur brings lakes and palaces into the picture, creating another atmosphere within the same region.

This is an option for a longer itinerary rather than an automatic addition to every Golden Triangle holiday. The distances deserve proper attention, and each extra base should earn its place through something you particularly want to experience.

We would consider your interest in history, the hotels you enjoy and how much road travel feels comfortable. With enough nights, extending the northern route can be more satisfying than adding a distant region and several additional connections. There should still be time for a relaxed meal, an unplanned walk or an afternoon enjoying the setting of your hotel.

Rajasthan beyond Jaipur

Things to do in India

Explore the Golden Triangle with a local guide

A knowledgeable guide can help you understand the history behind the places you visit, from Delhi’s contrasting districts to Agra’s monuments and Jaipur’s forts and palaces. Choose a programme that gives the major sights enough time without filling every hour.

The smaller details matter as well. A market street, a pause for lunch or a conversation about the buildings around you can make the day feel more connected to the place.

We would plan the sightseeing alongside comfortable transfers and suitable hotels. The aim is a journey you can absorb, with room to enjoy each city before the next stage begins and enough flexibility for your own interests.

Discover Mumbai beyond the headline sights

Spend time looking at how Mumbai’s different neighbourhoods fit together, with a guide who can explain the setting and help shape a thoughtful visit. The city deserves more than a quick circuit of its best known landmarks.

If a programme includes residential communities, choose an approach that respects the people living there. Everyday life should be understood with care, and the experience should follow your interests rather than a desire to collect contrasting photographs.

Allow time for the waterfront as well as the busier streets. An evening around Marine Drive can provide a change of rhythm after a day exploring, followed by a relaxed meal and time back at your hotel.

Explore Cochin on foot

A walk through Cochin gives you time to notice the relationship between its streets, waterfront and different historical influences. Choose a manageable route with a local guide, then leave some space to continue at your own pace.

The Chinese fishing nets are a natural point of interest, but the surrounding setting deserves attention too. Watching activity beside the water can be as memorable as visiting a major monument elsewhere in India.

We would keep the day comfortable, with breaks and enough time for a meal. Cochin works well as an introduction to Kerala, especially when the next part of your holiday takes you towards the waterways or greener inland landscapes.

Spend time on Kerala’s backwaters

Decide how you would most enjoy the waterways before choosing the experience. A boat excursion can introduce the setting during the day, while a longer stay gives this part of the journey more space of its own.

The surroundings are central to the appeal. Allow time to watch the changing views and everyday activity beside the water rather than treating the boat simply as transport between two places.

We would consider the route, accommodation and comfort you prefer alongside the rest of your Kerala plans. The best choice should suit the people travelling and preserve the gentler rhythm that drew you to this part of India in the first place.

Enjoy nature around Periyar

Approach Periyar with an interest in the forest and the wider landscape. Wildlife is part of the attraction, but a particular sighting should never be the measure of whether the visit has been worthwhile.

Choose an available guided activity that suits your interests and level of activity. Spending time observing the surroundings can be rewarding in itself, especially when there is someone to explain what you are seeing.

We would allow sufficient time here within a sensibly paced Kerala journey. A comfortable base and a realistic programme leave room for enjoying the scenery, with flexibility around local conditions and the activities available during your stay rather than a fixed list of expectations.

Find your preferred pace in Goa

Give Goa enough time to feel different from the touring part of your holiday. A few days beside the sea can provide a welcome pause, with the option to explore when you feel ready for another outing.

Choose a beach area and hotel around the atmosphere you enjoy. Some travellers want restaurants and activity nearby, while others would rather have a quieter base and spend more time within the resort.

The Portuguese influences described in the region’s architecture and food provide another reason to venture out. We would balance those interests with unhurried days, so Goa becomes a part of the holiday you enjoy rather than simply the place where touring ends.

India FAQs

When is the best time to visit India?

India is so large that there isn’t one weather pattern for the entire country.

The cooler months are generally popular for the Golden Triangle, Mumbai and much of southern India, while temperatures and rainfall vary considerably by region and season.

The best approach is to decide which India you want to experience first, then choose the timing around that journey.

Is the Golden Triangle good for a first visit to India?

Yes. Delhi, Agra and Jaipur give you an extraordinary introduction to India’s history, architecture, culture and energy.

How long should I spend in India?

We’d ideally want at least 10–14 nights for a first journey. India rewards taking your time rather than trying to fit too much into one trip.

Can I combine the Golden Triangle with Kerala?

Absolutely. It’s a fantastic contrast, the forts, palaces and cities of northern India followed by Kerala’s tropical landscapes, wildlife and waterways.

Is Mumbai worth adding?

We think so. It’s a fascinating city of enormous contrasts and gives you another perspective on modern India.

Is Goa only about beaches?

No. The beaches are a major attraction, but Goa also has history, Portuguese influences, food and very different areas to explore.

Will I see a tiger at Periyar?

Wildlife can never be guaranteed. We’d visit Periyar for the forests, scenery and overall wildlife experience rather than travelling there expecting a tiger sighting.

Is India difficult for a first-time visitor?

It can feel intense, particularly initially. Good hotels, knowledgeable local guides, private transfers and a sensibly paced itinerary make an enormous difference.