India - Can't Sit Still

February 2026

General Tips / Notes

Expect different social norms. This is true of most places in the world but India is particularly different due to everyone growing up constantly being among so many people. It can come as a shock, especially to Americans
Watch out for scams. Once again, this is true of many countries regarding tourists but especially so for India. Try and determine what the general cost of something is and stick to it when bargaining, and be prepared to walk away
The driving is not normal. Be prepared to be shook the first time you are in a major city, it seems like you are going to get in a crash every 5 seconds but after the first couple of rides you become somewhat accustomed
Traffic also can be brutal
Always be careful. People target tourists
Ubering is relatively inexpensive, and can even hire a driver for a day (once again, be careful for scams) if needed
If you are staying in a home (including Airbnbs), usually the showers are just open in the bathroom (no door or curtain) so the bathrooms can stay pretty wet for a while post-shower. And they use geysers which must be turned on a few minutes in advance to get hot water
It is not monolithic. There are different traditions / languages / foods / etc. from state to state. English is becoming more prevalent, especially in the bigger cities and more touristy places like Bombay and Rajasthan, but in some areas people just won’t be able to speak English
Season matters. Monsoon season comes with nonstop monsoons (shocking right?) and summer is 100+ degrees every day, most tourists typically go some time during November thru March
No matter what you do, never ever drink the tap water
Coconut stands are on the street everywhere. Indulge early and often
Download Swiggy or Zomato for quick delivery (food or any general needs), delivery prices are not like they are elsewhere
Try pan (betel leaf) if you want a cultural experience, it is meant to be a post-meal refresher
There are many stray dogs around and if you want to feed them you can get Parle-G biscuits from any nearby store or stand
Could be a good idea to register your trip with the US by the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program

Bombay, Maharashtra

India’s financial, commercial, and entertainment capital. Home to billionaire towers and Bollywood, it is also home to more than 20 million people making it a top 3 most populous city in India.

General Notes / Tips

Many people here do speak English

Food / Coffee

Masque

Tasting menu, claim to be first of its kind in India
Possibly the best bang for buck meal I’ve ever had, around $70/head (double it if adding the drink pairing) for a truly exquisite experience
Traditional Indian cuisine with a modern / creative spin with ingredients from local farmers, producers, or foraging excursions
Can make very custom substitutions
Recognition from World’s 50 Best

The Bombay Canteen

Must visit
Modern, tasty, aesthetic

Cafe Srinivasa

Smaller neighborhood spot
One of my favorite dosas I’ve had

Elco Veg Restaurant

Classic street food
Pani puri stations are an experience
Apparently Bollywood celeb sightings here

Tibb’s Frankie

Frankie = Indian street food wrap / burrito
Good for late night food

Jay Sandwich

Bombay Sandwich is an iconic Indian street food
Could get it here or other places too

Subko Specialty Coffee Roasters and Bakehouse (aka Mary Lodge by Subko)

Awesome specialty coffee menu
Fun food / baked goods (not traditional Indian though)
Subko Baccha-ccino worth ordering alongside coffee (it’s not caffeinated)

Copper Chimney (Linking Road)

Standard Indian restaurant, nice for sit down

Hakkasan

Hip Asian restaurant
Locations around the world (some are or were Michelin-starred)

Symphony

Local veg restaurant

Bombay Sweet Shop

Really great modern Indian sweets shop, great for gifts or for yourself
Think boxes of sweets, not ice cream parlor

Tejabhai Mithaiwala

Traditional Indian sweets shop

Nightlife / Bars

There are countless great cocktail bars everywhere around the city, and the clubbing scene (if you’re into that)

House of Paloma

Great vibe / place to hang
Fun cocktails but nothing too special and they were likely skimping on the booze

Activities / Neighborhoods

Bandra West (neighborhood)

Trendy, upscale, walkable with great restaurants / cafes / nightlife

Kala Ghoda (neighborhood)

Arts & shopping district

Bandra Fort

Gateway of India

Famous arch monument on the waterfront
Opposite Taj Mahal Palace Hotel
Crazy amount of people, it’s a circus
Can get professional pics taken for 50 rupees each, it’s fun

The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel

Iconic and historic 5-star heritage hotel

Linking Road

Massive street markets prime for bargaining
All things from clothes to bags to shoes and way more, obviously much of the stuff is knockoff
Be prepared to pay a tax for your accent but if you get a price you’re happy with then that’s a win anyways

Elephanta Caves

I did not go here but collection of cave temples ~5mi off the coast of Bombay
UNESCO World Heritage site

Phoenix Palladium

Insanely massive mall / complex

Lodging

Raja House

Reasonably price 2-bed Airbnb in the heart of Bandra West

The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel

Bombay’s gold standard, will cost a pretty penny but the service and experience will be first class

Jaipur, Rajasthan

The capital city and largest in the state of Rajasthan, known as “The Pink City” for the color of many buildings.

General Notes / Tips

Many of the activities below can be done in a row and are near each other. Highly recommend going with a guide to better understand the history and decision making behind the monuments. Happy to provide details for my guide Vismay who was super great and answered every question, however it is worth noting he might be overcharging a bit but it is an easy set-and-forget if you just want it to be simple and not think about it

Food / Coffee

Primitive

Extremely exquisite tasting menu
Decor, service, taste, plating all top tier
Multiple highly curated areas to be seated in, each containing art replicating work done in the different palaces found across Jaipur
Great and unique cocktail menu, and they also do a separate cocktail bar Native (see below) on the floor above

Steam

On the Rambagh Palace Hotel grounds
Named after a train which sits as part of the restaurant, can sit inside or on the patio outside
Tandoori Tikka Pizza was nice

Laxmi Misthan Bandar (LMB)

Popular hotel / restaurant / sweets shop in the middle of the ultra busy Johari Bazar Road
Raj Kachori is Rajasthani staple which is great

Peepal Jaipur

Casual restaurant in Central Park
After we got seated there was a private wedding anniversary party that just got going and we probably should not have been allowed to be seated and dine in during that time but it was fun

Bar Palladio

One of Jaipur’s most famed restaurants, serving Italian food. Go figure
Fame is for the vibe and ambiance which are excellent, the food is just fine

Jaipur Courtyard

Palace vibe & ambiance
Got brought here by our tour guide so assuming its touristy because guides get kickbacks from those kinds of places but it was solid enough

Curious Life Coffee Roasters

Decent upscale cafe

Nightlife / Bars

Native Cocktail Room

Exquisite interior, fantastically creative cocktail menu
Same people that do Primitive restaurant right below

Polo Bar

Inside the Rambagh Palace Hotel
Extensive selection of all kinds of drinks including a clarified drinks section (my personal favorite kinds of drinks)
Not associated with Polo Ralph Lauren, Jaipur is just obsessed with the actual sport of polo

1835

In the Sawai Man Mahal Hotel, very fancy interior with upscale home office / library vibes

House of People

I did not go here but saw people mention it as a good nightlife spot
Might be a bit night clubby

Activities

City Palace

Must visit, majestic palace that is the standing royal residence
Can get a tour

Hawa Mahal

Must see, the iconic building most associated with Jaipur
Not toured, just seen

Jantar Mantar

Must visit
A collection of 18th-century astronomical observatories
UNESCO World Heritage site

Amer Fort (or Amber Fort)

Must visit, Jaipur’s premier tourist attraction
Massive fort with majestic palace and awe-inspiring architecture
Do NOT do the elephant rides, it’s just inhumane and horrible for the elephants that this is even a thing

Jal Mahal

“Water Palace” in the middle of the lake near the Amer Fort, can just see it from afar

Patrika Gate

Vibrant gate for sightseeing

Johari Bazaar

Bustling market where you can buy jewelry, textiles, crafts, etc.
Can just browse if not shopping, interesting to check out

Nahagarh Fort

Big fort which overlooks the city with nice views for the sunset
Be WARNED that there are monkeys EVERYWHERE here and they are not shy. They will come and harass you if you have a water bottle or some food, would actually advise avoiding this place if you have an issue being around animals

Rambagh Palace

Originally housed the ruler of Jaipur and was converted into India’s first luxury palace hotel
Amazing grounds / gardens
Guards at the gate but can get past them if you just secure a reservation at a restaurant or something on the property

Rambagh Golf Course

Our Airbnb host got us in for a round

Galtaji Temple (Monkey Temple)

I did not go here
I would imagine it has a plethora of monkeys

Lodging

Lodging in Jaipur can vary in terms of luxury based on your willingness to spend. There are many excellent hotels in beautifully architected palaces, and also reasonably priced boutique hotels / Airbnbs.

Airbnb

Extremely reasonably priced spacious 3 bedroom with solid ensuite bathrooms for each room and in a good area
Owner was awesome, took us to his nice country club and got us in on a round of golf

Rambagh Palace

Will be pricy, particularly during tourist season

Dev Mahal

Boutique luxury hotel
Good rooms, good vibe

Udaipur, Rajasthan

Historic city in India known as the City of Lakes (although they are artificial), known for lavish royal residences and romantic settings (and a well-regarded wedding destination).

General Notes / Tips

On the theme of scams, many artists (especially in the Old City which is quite touristy) and shops claim they just got invited to <insert famous art museum where you are from> to showcase at an exhibit, so they said MoMA to me. Also they will show you a picture they snagged with actress Judi Dench when she was there to film something and say she came to their shop and loved them and bought stuff when really everyone was just asking her for pictures and she obliged. I wonder if Judi Dench has any idea that her name is being used for such a specific scam

Food / Coffee

Yatri Restaurant

Must visit small street food cart right outside City Palace
Masala Cheese Maggi (maggi is kind of an Indian ramen noodles) changed my life
Went back for dinner the same night and breakfast the next morning, and I am notorious for not repeating spots when traveling

Charcoal by Carlsson

Traditional Indian food, pretty solid but horrendous Mango Lassi
Met owner (Carlsson?) and he was great

Ambrai

Might be the most famous restaurant in Udaipur
Food is good not crazy but they are renowned for their location and iconic rooftop with Lake Pichola views

Jheel’s Ginger Coffee Bar & Bakery

Solid pizza and coffee
Good views of Lake Pichola if going all the way to the rooftop

Bun and Bunks

Solid breakfast and coffee
Good views of Lake Pichola if going all the way to the rooftop

Rainbow

Traditional Indian food, is decent

Activities

City Palace

Must visit, massive palace complex that took 400 years to build
We just paid a tour guide at the gates 500 rupees (~$5) and he took us inside and explained the history and different areas

Jagdish Temple

Large Hindu temple near the City Palace where people go to worship

Lake Pichola Boat Ride (Jagmandir Island Palace)

Take a boat on Lake Pichola, get dropped at an island with the palace that inspired the Taj Mahal
Can get tickets and go from the City Palace

Bagore Ki Haveli Dance Show

Cultural folk dance show that lasts about an hour

Old City Exploring

Many shops for all things ranging from jewelry to suits to dresses to shirts to shoes and more

Pacific Art Miniature Painting

Two brothers that have an art shop and set up classes to show you the famous style of art in Udaipur
I booked on Trip Advisor but you might be able to do it directly on their site

Monsoon Palace

I did not go here
Supposed to be iconic viewpoints and great for sunset

Karni Mata Ropeway

I did not go here
Supposed to be great for sunset

Cycling / Kayaking

Activities I heard / saw were available but I did not look into

Lodging

Like in Jaipur, places you can stay vary vastly in terms of the level of luxury. There are two Taj hotels (one of them is a literal entire island in the middle of Lake Pichola), an Oberoi, and many more as far as what the top dollar can get, and many more boutique hotels to boot.

Vara House

Reasonably priced 1-bed Airbnb in the heart of the Old City

Aurika

Unreal and majestic hotel venue for weddings, that is probably the only reason you would be here though as it’s a bit away from the actual city
Let me know if you want to get married here, I’ve got a plug

Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan

Vast wildlife reserve in Rajasthan about 3-4 hours drive from Jaipur which used to be used for royal hunting grounds. Tourists generally come for the safaris with one goal in mind- to see a tiger.

Safari General Information

Generally books out months in advance, I used an agency as I was very late to make my bookings but can probably book directly with the safari operators online somehow
Book jeep / gypsy over canter when you can, jeep / gypsy is a bit more expensive but well worth it as it is more private and you’ll be able to see better as opposed to the canter where you are with 20-25 other people
Safaris can be booked for morning (7am) and afternoon (2pm)
The zone your safari is booked for does matter and some are better than others. If my memory serves, 4 and 5 were good zones because they are flat and have high visibility but some additional research can confirm the details here
Bring a jacket for the morning safari
This entire place is built around seeing a tiger but it is just not guaranteed you will see one
Find the animals located within the reserve on the sign in the picture below

Lodging

Similar to the other Rajasthani cities, you can stay in ultra luxurious palaces like the Oberoi or other boutique hotels that are not as pricy.

Tiger Machan Resort

Nice hotel with clean cabin-type rooms
Small kitchen restaurant was where I had all my meals, the Paneer Butter Masala might have been the best I’ve ever had but did cause some stomach issues so I did not risk getting it again

Other Tips / Notes

Ranthambore Fort definitely seems worth visiting if you have time, although I did not get the chance

Hyderabad, Telangana

India’s 4th most populous city, a technology hub famous for its famous historical attractions and its iconic Hyderabadi biryani dish.

General Notes / Tips

Traffic can be absolutely brutal, especially in the later afternoon. Even if the distance is short, plan some time for the car ride

Food / Coffee

The Rameshwaram Cafe

Absolute must visit, exact type of place you hope you find when traveling to a different country
Best dosa I’ve ever had and everything else including the filter coffee phenomenal too

Telugu Medium

Fantastic traditional South Indian food, highly recommend it
Chicken Ghee Roast is must order

Maharaja Chaat

Great street food
True Indian experience where there is not much structure (at least during the day) and a bunch of employees just chillin around and you can just eat at the tables standing around

Cafe Niloufer

Insanely popular Irani chai spot, anyone familiar with Hyderabad will recommend this place
Both the tea and coffee were excellent but fair warning that long boiling times for Irani chai lead to a large concentration of tannins which could cause stomach problems, even for locals
Bun Maska is one of the best baked goods I’ve ever had and it is so simple

Chutneys

As one would hope, the chutneys are great
Seems to be a cult classic for people from Hyderabad

One8

Cricket juggernaut Virat Kohli’s restaurant
Fusion-ish, has many different cuisines
Surprisingly pretty decent

Koko

Japanese restaurant with a hip dining room but personally was not a huge fan
The Phoenix specialty cocktail I ordered might have been the worst drink I have ever had. Truffle overload, and that’s coming from a truffle fiend

Roastery Cafe

Great coffee spot

Vellanki Foods

They were out when I went but apparently have the best jalebi (an Indian sweet) ever

Activities

Charminar

Historically and religiously significant
We just paid a tour guide at the gates 500 rupees (~$5) and he took us inside and explained the history and whatnot
Also famous for its surrounding markets, beware of scammers

Chowmahalla Palace

Palace of the Nizams

Golconda Fort

Massive fortified citadel and ruined city built in the 11th century

Qutb Shahi Tombs

Grounds containing the tombs of the many kings of the Qutb Shahi dynasty

Shilparam Arts & Crafts Village

Massive arts & crafts village where you can find traditional Indian crafts and souvenirs

Shopping

Traditional and modern Indian outfits for weddings (Kalki, Pernia’s, Aza Fashions)
Perfumes / beauty goods (Hyderabad Beauty Centre)
Inorbit is the local mall

Buddha Statue

Massive statue in the middle of Hussain Sagar Lake

Lodging

Hotel Daspalla

Solid hotel in a good area (Jubilee Hills) with a nice breakfast buffet
Somehow considered a “business hotel” but doesn’t have working WiFi

Falaknuma Palace

One of the more reasonably priced Taj hotels

Kochi, Kerala

Kerala’s financial, industrial, and commercial capital and also its most populous city. It is the port city upon which the foundation of Kerala’s spice trading was built.

General Notes / Tips

Beware of shopkeepers who try to convince you to purchase their figurines / rugs / etc., especially if your auto driver is taking you there. They will lie (e.g. state something is made with material like a particular animal’s bone, and say that since they are government sanctioned they are not allowed to lie when it actually just means they do not illegally sell ivory, etc.) for your business. It seemed the Crafters Flagship Store in Jew Town was a legit operation but some other places we went were like I mentioned
Couple of drinks to try here include Karikkin (refreshing coconut juice) and kulukki sarbath (Kerala sweet and spicy shaken lemon drink)

Food / Coffee

Kashi Art Café

Clean and healthy, a bit touristy but still good
Wasabi Chicken Tikka Sandwich, Cold Coffee with Coconut Milk & Honey were both great

Ceylon Bake House

Classic Indian food (yes I know Ceylon is Sri Lanka)

Brindhavan Veg Restaurant

Classic Indian food
Breads were not good, can get that from elsewhere like Porotta Hub

Smoke Culture by Steve

Decent BBQ
Not sure how I ended up at an American BBQ joint in Kerala but life is full of surprises

Naturals Ice Cream

Good ice cream

Activities

Alleppey (Alappuzha) Backwaters

About 1-1.5 hour drive from Kochi, it is a network of canals / lagoons / lakes lined with coconut trees and villages
Can get a boat for a few hours during the day or a houseboat and stay on the water overnight
Gauri Restaurant which you may get taken to has eagles that seem to be house-trained and can take pictures and they sit on you. They will lie to you and say it is not true but I have no doubt their wings are clipped and it is animal cruelty
Can also swing by nearby Alleppey Beach

Elizabeth Spice Garden

Can get a number of experiences at this farm run by a very nice family, including a home cooked Kerala meal on a banana leaf
Note: Kochi being the port city and not the city where spices themselves are grown, this is more of being able to interact with processing and seeing the individual spices that can be grown throughout Kerala, not necessarily a full scale spice farm like you might find elsewhere in Kerala

Jew Town

Historic street with antique shops and artsy eateries
Crafters Flagship Store is an awesome store with souvenirs ranging from tiny figurines that cost cents to massive art sculptures that cost tens of thousands of dollars. Good place for gifts

Kochi Beach Walkway

Chinese fishing nets on the water from the 14th century, apparently you can see them in use if you go at sunset
Can walk along the beach and there are merchants along the way

St. George’s Cathedral

Massive church, one of the oldest in Kerala

Lodging

Sarada Mandiram

Solid boutique hotel

Munnar, Kerala

Hill station (mountain range) which is known for its tea plantations that stretch as far as the eye can see. About a 3.5 hour drive from Kochi.

General Notes / Tips

Avoid major scams that drivers will try to get you to go to (following the theme of drivers receiving kickbacks). This includes some spas, the tethered hot air balloon, adventure park, etc.

Food / Coffee

Hotel

Most likely you will just eat at the buffet offered by your hotel but there are a couple restaurants in town

Corner Cafe and Bakery

Unreal potato samosa

(Sap) Sree Annapoorani Pure Veg

Casual eatery, dosas and the like

Activities

Meesapulimala Trekking

Second tallest mountain in South India (the tallest is not allowed to be hiked), incredible views
~5-6 hours, 10 miles, 2.5k ft elevation gain
We saw tiger tracks and remnants of its meal
We booked our hike & guide through our hotel but can provide the WhatsApp for anyone looking, could not recommend using them enough, Akku was fantastic (same company as Gayatri mentioned below)

Tea Plantation Tour

A must, can see the process of how tea goes from where it grows until its ready for bagging for consumption
Elephants can sometimes be sighted walking through the plantations
We booked our hike & guide through our hotel but can provide the WhatsApp for anyone looking, could not recommend using them enough, Gayatri was fantastic (same company as Akku mentioned above)

Bird Watching

First time doing this, lots of different types
This was done in parallel with our Tea Plantation Tour, you can select from a list of activities
We booked our hike & guide through our hotel but can provide the WhatsApp for anyone looking, could not recommend using them enough, Gayatri was fantastic (same company as Akku mentioned above)

Lodging

Chandys Windy Woods

Nice room and views but expensive for India and probably not good enough to justify the price
Buffet was decent, was expecting more
Royal Butter Chicken ordered a la carte was one of my favorite butter chicken dishes I’ve ever had
Whatever you do, do NOT go to the ayurvedic spa here

Thekkady, Kerala

Town near the Periyar National Park / Tiger Reserve known for its wildlife and reservoir Periyar Lake.

Activities

Daytime Safari

Involves some trekking and some sitting in a bamboo raft while guides row
Expect to see wildlife such as gaur (Indian bison), warthogs, monkeys, deer, elephants (if you are lucky), etc. but do not expect to see a tiger, even tour guides that have done this many times each week for decades have only seen a tiger here maybe one time (it is a vast area and they tend to avoid humans)
Can book this through your hotel or by contacting safari guides individually

Nighttime Safari

More likely to see animals than in the daytime
Seems dependent on your tour guide, mine did not even speak English so was fortunate 2 members of our party of 5 spoke both Malayalam and English to translate

Kalaripayattu Show

1-hour showing of the region’s ancient form of karate which is the world’s oldest martial art

Lodging

Poetree

Nice hotel with an infinity pool with a view
Good buffet for meals

Vizag (Visakhaputnam), Andhra Pradesh

Port city which is the largest and most populous in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Food / Coffee

Sripatham

Love me a South Indian dosa breakfast

Laddu Gopal

Great Bellam Jalebi dessert

Chennapatnam Filter Coffee

On the Ramkrishna Beach so can sip with the view
Met an uncle who tried all the coffee spots along the beach road and this was his top spot for what that’s worth (a lot)

Activities

Ramkrishna Beach

Road along this beach is closed from 5am-7am every morning so it is packed with people getting their morning exercise in

Araku Valley

Hill station (mountain range) in Andhra Pradesh, about 3 hour drive from Vizag and be warned that the roads are not for a weak stomach
Known for its coffee plantations & there is a coffee museum too
Borra Caves is too crowded and definitely not worth it
Ananthagiri Waterfalls is interesting to check out
Padmarupam Gardens is a nice aesthetic park
Try the bamboo chicken, it’s being made all over on every street
Leaving after sunset will make for a very traffic-heavy return down the mountain
This is probably the most “off-the-beaten-path” tourist destination I’ve ever visited in my life

Shopping

Traditional and modern Indian outfits for weddings (Kankatala, Neerus)
Jewelry (Violet & Purple)
Perfume (The Perfume Shop)