India for the first time: when and where to go.

Are you going to India for the first time? Let’s plan this trip together, with my India-expert friend.

Here we go, les amis, I’m finally planning my trip trip to India.

This country has been… kind of “scaring me” for a while: so big and varied, so hard to understand and get used to with a few days stay.
At the same time, India has always attracted me so much.
Thank to my dear friend Shyla, a great expert of Indian trips and on the road trips in general, I’m planning the best itinerary as a newbie in this very big country and I want to create this itinerary with you, traveller who are planning their first indian trip.

How to fly to India for the first time

As I just told you, Shyla is the greatest “Indian trips expert” I’ve ever met, and I was never able to persuade her to create a blog just to tell about her trips to India (she goest there at least once a year).
The first thing she recommends me (and you all) is to consider booking your first trip to India checking the most popular Air India Express International Flights. In this way you can check the most frequent and comfortable flights and get the best offers via Cleartrip.

But… where to land, in this huge territory, for your first Indian experience?

Udaipur and the Holi Festival

If you are looking for a stunning architecture and special (and unique) celebrations, Udaipur, in Rajasthan, is definitely the first destination to consider.
In this city, lakes and castles and the magic of local oldest architecture reflected in the water, makes this place a romantic comfort area to start getting acquainted with the deepest Indian magic.

If you go to India for the first time, you might be curious to enjoy the world known Holi, the festival celebrating the colors of the spring.
This fest, where wearing your best suit is not recommended, people dances and throws bunches of colors over the other people. Holi is celebrated all over India during the first week of march and in Udaipur you’ll live one of the most popular ones.

Chennai and the Dwali

Here we go with another importanti city and another important local celebration, suitable if you are planning a trip to India for the first time.
Chennai is a municipal corporation in Tami Nadu State.

Well, the impact with this city (very very big one) can be strong and shocking, since it’s very crowded and lively. Here you can see interesting markets, street markets and breath taking tamples.

If on a climate point of view the best period to come here is January, where temperature are around 19-25 Celsius, on a “social” point of view, you should definitely come for the Dwali.

Dwali is the festival of lights, the triumph of the Good over the Evil, the moment of the year when hope is spread with candles and light installations.

This festival is held in mid November and in Chennai you can experience it at best.

Hampi and the Virupaksha Temple

The city of Hampi is another great hot spot if you are going to India for the first time. The city, whose attitude is definitely more “laid-back” than the previously mentioned Chennai, is located 350 km from Bangalore, in central Karnataka.

Hampi boasts amazing architectural landscapes thanks to its rock temples; it was the last capital of the Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar.

What you perceive here is a great “energy”, the kind of vibes that habitual travelers to India can hardly explain but that leads them back to India times and times again.

One of the main and absolutely must see temples is the Virupaksha Temple, that you’ll find right here in Campi.

This huge stone monument is part of a larger architectural group designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Virupaksha Temple is dedicated to Lord Virupaksha, a form of Shiva, one of the main Hinduist deities.

Amritsar and the Golden Temple

Amritsar is a city in the northwest of the country, in Punjab. The most interesting thing to see here is the famous Golden Temple (or, locally,  Gurdwara).
The temple looks like floating on the waters: it is build around an artificial small lake and this location is spiritually considered the most significant shrine in Sikhism.
If you are curious and interested in the Sikh story and culture (I definitely am), you should pay a visit to the Amritsar Central Sikh Museum.

Then, 11 km west of Amritsar, you’ll find Ram Tirath, a total white and bright ancient pilgrimage center.

Agra and the Taj Mahal

One of the most iconic symbols of India in the world’s imaginary is the Taj Mahal, the ivory-white marble mausoleum, commissioned by the emperor Shah Jahan as the tomb of his wife, Mumtaz Mahaland that is now also the tomb of the Shah Jahan himself. 

If you want to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime-must-see place you have to choose Agra as your landing destination.
There are many things to do to and to see in this city, like the Akbar tomb, the central market, the Mehtab Bagh garden.

The main general tips by Shyla said me, when planning to go to India for the first time, are:

• Choose a period when local weather won’t be too challenging for you;
• Eat some Indian food in your country in good Indian restaurant so you can get acquainted with local flavors and you can enjoy them better once in travel;
• Rent a car before leaving if you are planning to make an on the road…
• Don’t make an on the road trip if your are visiting India for the first time.

Any other suggestion for me and for all those who are planning their first indian route? Tell me in comments.