Your first trip to India? – And you don’t want to end up in tourists traps, but rather see some beautiful off-beat places? A demanding task. However, it can be done if you consider some of these travel tips.

Define your interest, then choose a region: India is not one country, it is more like a continent. You can’t see it all at once. Consider what expectations you have: are you a person who likes sea shores and beach vacation? Do you prefer trekking in the hills and mountains and experiencing local culture? Are you a foodie? Are you on a spiritual journey, seeking for calmness of mind? Looking for an Ashram or an Ayurvedic treatment?

Decide what you want to do first, then choose the region to visit. Kerala is great for Ayurveda and it has vast beaches. Rishikesh, Pune and Misore are well known for its Yoga gurus and teacher training institutes. Ashrams can be found all over the country. Goa is best known for its beaches, but if you don’t need five start treatment, the entire east coast is at your disposal; simply head south from Mumbai. North India is just as great for trekking as Nepal. The North-East of India bordering China, Bhutan and Burma has unique tribal culture to discover.

Take your time: Be sure to take enough time to travel. India in seven days will only bring you to the most well known spots. Don’t start unless you have a spare three weeks. India does not work well on tightly planned travel itineraries. You rush through it, but that way you will not experience India, you will only see the surface. This is why it’s great to go slow and choose only one region.

Travel by road or train: Only fly in to get to India. Once on the ground it is great to move by road or by train. Indian Railway is one of the largest railway networks in the world, big cities are well connected. It might not be the most reliable one and also not the fastest transport mode, but you will be sure to make memories as soon as you board a train. First of all, it will dump your western speed, since it is not always on time and you will spend hours on it. Second your fellow travellers will mostly be interested in where you are coming from. You will be asked some questions, in return you can find out about their life, about their worries and their joyful moments. Be prepared to be on a selfie, and take some as well!

The advantage by road is, that you can travel at your own speed and stop wherever you feel like. Especially if you want to discover a coast line or a hill or mountain region, where public transport is not well developed yet, a car is a must. Don’t drive yourself, unless you are used to left side driving and the very different traffic rule set on the Indian roads. A driver can be a very useful guide and translator for all kind of situations. In addition you make him earn his living.

Travel with locals: Choose to travel with a local guide, a local driver/guide or a local group, a friend from India, you will not regret it. India is a country where your Lonely Planet travel book only brings you to see that much, but not much more. You have to talk to people to find out what there is to see and experience, not read a travel book or get hooked onto your smartphone.

A colleague of mine once said: Everything in India is relational. You don’t know the right person, you will only see half of what you could actually see. Even paying large amounts of money does not assure the best experience. Indians are very clever salesmen and saleswomen. The best thing that can happen to you is to travel with a friend, or a guide who is recommended by a friend, and happens to be your friend’s friend. Once you know someone from India, do not hesitate to ask them for advice. They will be happy to help. Be aware: They expect the same in return from you, once one of the members of their extended families will travel to your place.

Don’t stick to your itinerary: In India – like everywhere else in the world – there are plans: and then there is reality. You can make great plans, but be ready to trash them the minute you touch Indian ground. There is always something to discover you have not seen yet by googling. before you started your trip. Simply because a lot of India is not on google and will never be. Its‘ also great to give up plans and go with the flow, a unique Indian experience. Drink another chai and chat away the day under a palm tree, or on the courtyard of a monument, on the stairs of a temple. It’s lifetime well spent.