January brought me to North India, and although I was travelling solo, I was on an organised trip with Mercury Holidays. The trip lasted 15 days and involved travelling long distances on a mini bus to various locations across the country.
If you haven’t experienced India before—particularly rural areas—you need to be extremely careful with hygiene. Wet wipes, tissues and hand sanitiser are absolute essentials. Toilets are generally unpleasant, and the risk of getting “Delhi belly” is high, but don’t let this put you off coming. India is an amazing, vibrant country, packed with diversity.
The country has a colourful culture, with food and religion at its centre. I volunteered at the Sikh complex at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, which was an incredible experience. It feeds thousands of people every day from its communal kitchens. Food (often meat-free dhal) is cooked in enormous pans, and the rotis are hand-rolled by an army of volunteers.
The kitchen runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is open to anyone regardless of religion or status. However, it wouldn’t be ideal for Western travellers to eat the food themselves, as local people have built up resistance to it.
I do occasionally buy things from street vendors, but only if I’m absolutely sure it’s safe. I once had a paper cup full of fresh chai tea in Delhi from a place that looked absolutely disgusting—but the man was boiling the milk to death, so I knew it would be safe. It was delicious and the best chai I’ve ever had, with no side effects (luckily).
I would recommend carrying a few recovery medications just in case: rehydration salts, loperamide, charcoal tablets, and something like Pepto-Bismol. Drink plenty of bottled water and avoid fizzy drinks like Coca-Cola, as well as spicy food. If you become very unwell or symptoms last more than a couple of days, seek medical advice.
India is the best place. Follow my social media posts to see what I get up to.
