- I went to India for the first time on a group tour with my kids.
- Our trip was great, but I wish I'd packed more hand sanitizer and medications from home.
- I also wish I'd tried the delicious street food sooner and extended my trip.
India has been on my list of must-see destinations for years.
I have always longed to see the Taj Mahal and the Bengal tigers that roam the country's vast forests. Yet, I put off visiting because I found the idea of navigating a country populated by over a billion people intimidating.
Nevertheless, I recently took the plunge and booked a group tour of India with Intrepid Travel with my kids.
Thankfully, most things went well, and we had a great trip. However, our trip could've been even better if I had avoided these four mistakes.
Not trying street food earlier and more often
When I was planning my trip to India, multiple friends and my doctor warned me repeatedly about "Delhi Belly," also called traveler's diarrhea.
They advised me to be extremely careful about what I ate and drank lest my stomach revolt. I worried that if I slipped up, even once, I might spend several days of my trip in the bathroom.
I knew the risks were real, but I went overboard with my precautions, which caused me to miss out on some of the country's great street food.
At first, I only watched as others in my group enjoyed samosas and lassies from street vendors.
Eventually, I decided that Indian street food is an important part of local culture I didn't want to miss out on. So, I started indulging in the delicious offerings.
I followed common-sense safety rules, including making sure my food was served hot off the grill and that the stalls I was buying from looked clean.
I didn't get sick, and I wish I'd taken the plunge sooner.
Failing to pack enough medication and hand sanitizer
India has some of the most polluted cities in the world, so I knew to expect some air quality or sanitation issues during my trip. Still, I felt underprepared.
Throughout our trip, we encountered many public bathrooms without soap, hot water, or toilet paper. I packed a ton of hand sanitizer, but it wasn't enough, and I couldn't find more to purchase anywhere I looked.
Partway through my trip, I had to ration my use of hand sanitizer, which made me nervous.
Moreover, even though I brought far more medication than I usually do when I travel, I wish I'd brought more. I packed everything my travel clinic recommended for tummy troubles but nothing for coughs or colds.
This was an issue in Delhi, our first stop in India, where my son started coughing almost immediately, which we attributed to the pollution. He also developed a runny nose, which can be caused by pollution.
We managed, but medication to ease these symptoms would have helped. I also wish I'd packed more masks that we could've worn to help filter out some of the pollutants.
Not staying long enough
Although I often travel independently, I went to India on a group tour.
I figured this would make our trip easier since India can be a challenging country for Americans to navigate due to cultural differences, language barriers, and sheer number of people who live there. I think was the right move, especially with children.
However, by the end of the tour, I felt fairly well-acclimated. Although I initially found the prospect of being in India alone overwhelming, on the last day of the tour, I took the Delhi metro with ease and navigated the city confidently without a guide.
I even hailed a tuk-tuk like a pro — I was a far cry from the nervous traveler I was when I first boarded a crowded train in Delhi.
I wish I hadn't been afraid to tack a couple of extra days onto my trip to explore more on my own and see more of the country.
Not learning more about India's culture and history ahead of time
Although I had loaded my Kindle with books about or set in India, I didn't get to read many of them before my trip. This left me scrambling to catch up.
For example, while I knew the Taj Mahal was perhaps the world's most profound symbol of love, I wasn't aware I could go inside before I arrived.
Throughout the trip, I found myself asking basic questions on tours more often than I would have liked instead of using them as an opportunity to dig deeper.
I think I would've understood more about the places I saw and the people I met if I had gone into the trip with a better understanding of India's complexities, history, and people.
