Discover India

India is a subcontinent rather than a country-sized place, and almost every generalisation about it fails somewhere. It holds one of the world's oldest continuous civilisations, twenty-two languages recognised in its constitution and many hundreds more spoken, four religions that began here, and a range of terrain from Himalayan glacier to tropical coast.

The geography is peninsular, not insular. Sea surrounds three sides — the Arabian Sea west, the Bay of Bengal east, the Indian Ocean south — and the fourth side is a long land border with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, closed at its northern edge by the Himalaya, the highest and youngest of the world's great ranges. Between the mountains and the peninsula lies the Indo-Gangetic Plain, fed by the Ganges and the Yamuna, which supports much of the population; below it the Deccan Plateau covers most of the interior, with the Thar Desert in the north-west and the Western Ghats down the western edge.

The monsoon is the organising fact of the year rather than a weather event. It arrives from the ocean in June and withdraws by October, brings the bulk of the annual rainfall, and determines when travel is comfortable, when roads in the mountains close and when the hill country is green.

Historically the subcontinent was shaped by the Indus Valley Civilisation, the Mauryans under Ashoka, the Guptas, the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals and then by the East India Company, whose rise began with Plassey in 1757 — a full century before the 1857 rebellion against Company rule, after which Britain transferred India to the Crown. Independence came at midnight on 14-15 August 1947, inseparable from a Partition that displaced between 12 and 20 million people; Bangladesh was created out of East Pakistan in 1971.

What this means practically is that India rewards choosing a region and a season rather than attempting the country. A fortnight in Rajasthan, Kerala or Ladakh is a coherent trip; a fortnight across all three is three long flights and very little else.

When should I go? The cool, dry winter from October to February is the comfortable season for most of the country — but it is also when north Indian air pollution is at its worst, so anyone with asthma or a heart condition should weigh that. The monsoon runs June to October and the pre-monsoon months are extremely hot.

Can I bring my GPS watch or satellite messenger? Not without a licence. Satellite phones and GPS devices are illegal to possess or operate in India without permission, even in transit, and the advisory says this may cover handheld and cycling GPS units too. People have been arrested for it. Apply to the Indian Department of Telecommunication before travelling.

Can I bring my vape? No. Vapes and related products are banned — you cannot buy them in India or bring them in.

Where can I not drink? Alcohol is illegal to consume, produce or transport in Bihar, Gujarat, Mizoram, Nagaland and Lakshadweep, where you can be arrested and held without bail and face five to ten years in prison. Elsewhere the rules vary by state, drinking in public places like parks is illegal, and some states sell 30-day permits to foreign visitors.

Train or plane? Train, unless you are crossing the subcontinent. Book on IRCTC and take a higher class overnight.

Can I drink the water? No, nowhere. Bottled or filtered water is universal and cheap; be careful with ice and raw salad outside good places.

What is the emergency number? 112 for police, fire and ambulance. 100, 101 and 102 still work individually, and 1363 is the tourist helpline in several languages.

Is photography a problem? It can be. It is prohibited at military sites, in some border areas and inside many temple sanctums, and photography, birdwatching or plane spotting near military sites, government buildings, airports and railway stations may be misunderstood.

Can I see a tiger? Realistically, yes — India holds almost 75 per cent of the world's wild tigers, 3,682 as of 2022, across 58 reserves. Pick one park, go in the dry months before the monsoon, and allow several drives.