November – March, avoiding monsoon season and the heat

Depending on how much of the land you want to cover in one trip, a minimum of 10 days is standard, especially to cover the golden triangle regions.

Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, English (there are numerous dialects spoken within each region)

Visa required. Must be purchased in advance of travel.

India’s National dish: Thali (A typical thali usually consists of: lentils either in the form of dhal or sambhar, rice, 2x Curried vegetables, chutney, yogurt, papadum, roti, salad and some sort of Indian dessert) Dosa (a sort of crispy crepe made from rice, lentils, Urad dal, Chana dal, fenugreek, puffed rice, Toor dal, dry red chilli, served with chutneys, and sambar – the fillings vary) Gol gappa/Pani puri (a popular bite-size chaat consisting of a hollow, crispy-fried puffed ball that is filled with potato, chickpeas, onions, spices, and flavoured water, usually tamarind or mint, and eaten whole, one bite) Gulab Jamun (fried dumplings or doughnuts with cardamom and soaked in rose and saffron syrup) Kulfi (traditional Indian ice cream that comes in different flavours) Masala chai (black tea in milk and water with a mixture of aromatic herbs and spices) Falooda (a dessert drink with layers of rose syrup, jelly, sweet basil seeds, vermicelli, creamy milk, topped with ice cream and nuts) Fresh coconut water Sugar cane juice

Are vah! – Oh wow Namaste – Hello Dhanyavaad – Thank you Bahut – Very Masaaledaar - Spicy