Few places on earth can match India’s astounding diversity, from the snow-tipped Himalayas and palm-fringed shores of Goa to the sprawling metropolises of Mumbai and Delhi ricocheting with the sound of honking rickshaws. It’s a country full of contrast at every turn.
Then there are the languages — 22 official, but as many as 121 spoken — the regional variety in food, the kaleidoscope of flavours, and the unique customs.
I’ve been desperate to visit ever since I tried my first jalebi as a child, and this year I touched down for the very first time. Stepping off the plane, I was immediately confronted with sensory overload; the heat, the aromas and the sounds. It can be incredibly overwhelming, whether you’re a wide-eyed gap year backpacker or stamping yet another page in your well-worn passport.
India has a rich heritage and is filled with adventure – you just have to know where to look. Acing the Golden Triangle for the first time as an adult is about more than just ticking off the Taj Mahal from your bucket list. It’s about avoiding common pitfalls, ensuring you travel consciously, and giving back to the local communities that welcome you into their homes. Travelling with intention should be more than just a buzzword.
The best advice I was given before visiting India
- Don’t drink tap water — use bottled water to brush your teeth
- Don’t eat fresh salad — stick to cooked food
- Bring modest clothing, even to wear in the heat
- Print your visa and leave plenty of time to apply for it
For India first-timers, the route through Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur — known as the Golden Triangle — is by far the most popular. But while the path is well trodden, even those very familiar with the country’s idiosyncrasies suggest joining a tour rather than venturing out on your own. And there is no shortage of options.
On the recommendation of a friend who has spent a lifetime visiting India, I opted for Gadventures. There is a common misconception that group tours will be dominated by school graduates, but that was far from the case. In my group, ages ranged from a 27-year-old police detective on annual leave to a sprightly 60-odd-year-old grandma who left her four children and grandchildren at home to explore the East.
The group was largely made up of female solo travellers from the UK, USA and Australia, all professionals and many repeat Gadventures customers. It’s hardly surprising. India is complex to navigate alone, and a curated group experience offers a blend of independence and security.
I selected this particular operator as much for the expertise of the guides as for its responsible travel community initiatives.
The seven-day Golden Triangle tour begins in Delhi, where, baking in the 40-degree late April sun, my group boarded a blissfully air-conditioned bus. Leading the pack was our CEO — that’s Chief Entertainment Officer — Chatrapal Singh Rathore. CP, as we affectionately called him, used coach rides to dive into the cultural intricacies of the country, from the tapestry of religions and the reverence of cows to traditions like arranged marriages — delivered with infectious enthusiasm, pride and wry humour.
While his encyclopaedic knowledge and poetic turns of phrase (“to know India, one life is not enough”) kept us riveted, I appreciated his food recommendations most of all. Every region along the route has its own culinary specialities, and CP made sure we sampled them all. Before every meal, he would walk us through the menu to explain, highlighting the best options, guaranteeing we didn’t have a bad meal for the duration of the trip.
When it came to sightseeing, CP’s skills were just as invaluable. There is also no one better at avoiding the crowds and optimising that perfect Taj Mahal Instagram shot. CP orchestrated a kind of content creator assault course to ensure all 16 of us got the perfect Princess Diana-esque picture.
Yet it was his appreciation for the smaller moments that defined the experience — whether that was savouring a roadside Thums Up (India’s answer to Coca-Cola) or sipping chai in the home of a local. He fiercely bartered with hawkers to ensure we got the best deal. With CP at the helm, the tour was so much more than a landmark list-checking exercise.
Delhi
A common starting place for world travellers, the buzz of Delhi hits before you leave the airport. Arrivals is heaving with opportunistic taxi drivers, eager for business and generally do not understand no as an answer, which is why Gadventures’ airport pickup inclusion is so welcomed. It does so through Women with Wheels, an initiative that gives employment opportunities to young women.
The first official activity, following an induction, was a guided city tour led by an alum of the Gadventures-supported Salam Baalack trust. The charity was created to rehabilitate runaway or orphaned youths, and its graduates include a world-famous photographer and a gold medallist wrestler. Salman Khan (no, not that one), our well-coiffed lead, takes groups around the city when he’s not following in the footsteps of his namesake and shooting Bollywood films.
Delhi street food is legendary — from kulcha, a sticky bread with chickpeas and spices, to the kebabs. The city’s intensity is overwhelming and unapologetically loud. I found myself drawn more to Old Delhi, from the generosity of the free community kitchens in the Sikh temple, where we helped prepare paratha before enjoying daal and raita, to the grandeur of the Mughal-era Jama Masjid mosque and the imposing Red Fort.
Due to dense pollution from seasonal crop burning in the north, December and January are not the best times to visit Delhi. The months of October, November, February or March have clearer skies and better air quality. After a whirlwind 24-hour visit that demonstrated the chaotic harmony between modern life and ancient tradition, we returned to the bus and set off for Agra.
Agra
Once the capital of the Mughal Empire, Agra is best known today for the Taj Mahal, India’s most iconic monument. You would assume a landmark so hyped would be a disappointment, but pictures do not do the scale or the beauty of the marble justice. That said, visiting requires tactics if you’re looking to snag that iconic Princess Diana bench shot without crowds spoiling the backdrop.
Tour guide CP had the operation down to a fine art. He had us awake and in line by 4am. The reward? We were the first through the gates and had a one-in-a-lifetime 15-minute window to wander the place to ourselves. It was an experience I will never forget.
But Agra has more to offer than simply the Taj. The day before, we visited the Tomb of I’timād-ud-Daulah – dubbed the Baby Taj, and the imposing Agra Fort, the site of the emperor’s stone bed.
The tour framework is there, but there was free time too. Some group members visited marble inlay workshops, while others braved the bazaars. The majority of us, on CP’s suggestion, enjoyed a cold Kingfisher at a rooftop bar with the Taj rising in the distance. Rounding off the day, dinner was a gastronomical sensory treat at Molecule, where we tucked into chaat, pani puri and Nepalese-style momos as a local DJ played a mix of Bollywood favourites and Western bangers.
There was even a spare moment to visit the Sheroes cafe, a hangout run by acid attack survivors where you can drink lassis and have henna applied to your palms, while listening to their inspiring stories of resilience.
From there, we headed to Jaipur, breaking up the journey camping at Dhula Bagh. But this is no ordinary camping. Nestled among bougainvillaea, pre-erected canvas tents were our homes for the night, far removed from the chaos of the city.
As the sun set, we enjoyed a home-cooked Rajasthani meal beneath the stars after a village walk brought us to the heart of local life. Smiling children eager to practice their English, entrepreneurial women weaving carpets, and a barber fixing the hair of the locals revealed a snapshot of rural India.
We even stumbled upon a wedding procession and found ourselves swept into the revelry, dancing in the street. Videos available on request, of course.
Jaipur
Of all the places we visited thus far, Jaipur may be my favourite. Known as the ‘Gemstone City’, Rajasthan’s capital dazzles with endless jewellery shops, block printing, the iconic Palace of Winds and pistachio ice cream.
Our day began at the Amber Fort, a must-see, complete with a hall of mirrors that predates Versailles in France. It unfolded with each court more breathtaking than the last. From there, we visited the Anoothi Project. Meaning “unique” in Hindi, the initiative teaches local women skills like block printing, a craft Jaipur is famous for.
They welcomed us with a hands-on tutorial and a home-cooked lunch, sitting cross-legged on the floor in the traditional style. The meal consisted of organic, locally grown ingredients with moreish pakora fritters on the side.
One memorable morning began on two wheels with a cycle tour led by the legendary trio of Kush, Aman and Depeche. As we pedalled, we greeted passersby with the traditional “Rade Rade” before pausing for a roadside chai at a stand where the owner reportedly earns over $100,000 USD a year. Yes, the tea really is that good. Even India’s PM Narendra Modi has given this particular chaiwalla his seal of approval. The tour rounded off with laughing yoga, which was as joyful as it sounds.
Other Jaipur highlights included a trip to the Jantar Mantar observatory for surprisingly blunt astrology readings (mine predicted sudden death — charming) and an unforgettable Bollywood dance class, the video of the latter, however, will never see the light of day.
Mumbai
Whether it was the confidence gained from a week traversing India’s Golden Triangle or the city’s more familiar cadence — Mumbai has a cosmopolitan resemblance to London — I felt emboldened to explore the country’s cultural capital unguided.
I landed at Soho House Mumbai, a familiar touch of home infused with local flair. Nestled between golden sands and the homes of Bollywood’s elite, it is positioned in the upscale seaside suburb of Juhu Beach. The private members’ club balances luxury with laid-back charm, and is, unsurprisingly, a magnet for the city’s A-list.
The interiors pay homage to Indian craftsmanship — block-printed fabrics from Rajasthan and antique furniture sourced from across the country that brought character and soul.
The menu was eclectic — ranging from Italian favourites at Cecconi’s, classic Mexican from Maya and refined tandoori dishes to honour the host city. The rooms were lavishly adorned: rain showers lined with Cowshed products, vintage tins hiding the signature melt-in-your-mouth cookies, and a fully stocked bar complete with a crystal cocktail shaker and a vermouth perfume spritz.
By day, the rooftop pool was a sun-drenched haven, lined with striped cabanas and looking out over the Arabian Sea, a view mirrored on the treadmills in the gym below. Yet, late into the night, the rooftop was buzzing with international DJs — even on Sundays — and a cocktail list introduced the five new varieties of Soho House’s iconic spicy margarita Picantes that have become almost as well known as the houses themselves — basil smash and passionfruit and lemongrass among the selection.
A highlight? My friend Charley was almost cast in a feature film after a chance encounter with a visiting director. (She declined due to a scheduling conflict with her finance job though).
There are also endless activities to join in; movie nights, run club and comedy shows. I opted for a yoga class where cat cows were rightfully renamed cat-camels.
Mumbai is all about the food scene, and a culinary walking tour gave us the chance to sample 13 regional dishes – an ambitious undertaking, but I have no regrets. The next day, we dialled up the decadence at Bastian at the Top, before culminating the trip with a show-stopping meal at TikTok darling Masque that was voted the number one restaurant in India and was one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had.
