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13 Best India Travel Guide Books

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• 13 Best India Travel Guide…

India is a vast country with diverse and awe-inspiring landscapes. From sandy shores of the Keralan coast, barren deserts of Rajasthan, the majestic snow-capped Himalayas, ancient temples, to buzzing modern cities, the country has it all. The stunning country also offers a rich mix of traditions, festivals, and spiritual beliefs. All these reasons make India a must-visit! For a memorable trip to India, what’s a better way to understand and learn more about the country than by getting yourself “lost” in the best India travel guide books? These guidebooks are more than helpful in planning your trip. Whatever you want to explore in this ancient country, these travel guide books India will help you make the most of your time in this exotic part of the world.

How To Choose The Best India Travel Guide Books?

Travel guidelines to India are all you need to arrange the perfect trip to India . With travel guidebooks, it’s easier to travel safely. That said, choosing travel guide books India also can be overwhelming. To get the best one, there are some basic things that you can consider before deciding to buy a travel guide book India. Let’s take a look at them one by one!

What’s Included In The Book

A travel guidebook to India should contain information about sights, accommodation, transportation, activities, and restaurants. Detailed maps and historical cultural information also make a good guidebook. Some India travel guide books even include phrases and glossary to help you interact with the locals. Colorful photos in the book would be a great feature for travelers’ inspiration.

Published Date

To avoid misinformation about the places you’re going to visit, we recommend getting the latest edition which published date is no later than a year apart. Hotels, restaurants, sights, and shops are ever-changing, so it’s important to get the updated information.

While traveling, you may not want to be weighed down by a thick travel guide book India. If so, a digital version is the best option for you. Meanwhile, some travelers may want to have a printed edition. This version can be useful along the way, such as for taking notes or using the maps without the need for GPS or gadgets.

Is India easy to travel around?

Well, since India is a huge country, getting around can be slow and require a bit of patience. However, it also offers extensive interesting and fascinating places. You’ll never get bored of traveling in India. If anything, your trip may turn into a fascinating adventure!

Is India dangerous for tourists?

You may have heard infamous rumors about India, but generally, India is considered a safe destination for tourists. That said, you should be aware of certain things like scams and pickpockets. So, don’t forget to bring your underclothing travel pouch for safety. Reading travel guidelines to India before you go, like The Essential Safety & Security Guide to Visiting India and Travel Fearlessly in India is also useful. These books provide useful tips, advice, and strategies on how to travel safely in India.

Is India expensive to visit?

Actually, India is commonly known as one of the best budget destinations for travelers in the world. You’ll find plenty of budget hotels and affordable transportation to get around. It’s a perfect destination for budget travelers.

Essential India Travel Guide

Essential India Travel Guide is

written by Mohan Kapoor. He’s a native Indian who was born in Bikaner, Rajasthan. When he was young, he left the country. But, he returned to India for work. His jobs required him to travel extensively through India. So, he shares his knowledge about the country, life, historical sights, and culture into a useful travel guide. It’s perfect for anyone wanting to travel to India.

Unlike other India travel guide books we have on this list, this book only covers cities and states with the most popular and important tourist attractions. But you’ll get an in-depth look and some fun facts of each city. It includes where to eat, what to see, where to go, and what to expect. It also gives you information about how to be respectful to each of the six main religions,, plus, how to be aware of the pickpockets, and more.

The thing we like the most about this book is that the author provides essential tips. These include what to expect, what type of travel agencies you can trust, important cultural aspects, what food choices are safe, and so much more. Plus, he also shares his own story. In a way, by reading this book you travel virtually to cities and states like Delhi, Goa, and Kolkata even before you arrive in the beautiful and colorful country!

Any type of travelers, including business travelers, backpackers, and party-goers.

The Essential Safety & Security Guide to Visiting India

Are you a solo traveler who yearns to travel to India, but has been disheartened by rumors or publicity about violence there? The Essential Safety & Security Guide to Visiting India will show you how to have a happy and safe trip. So, you’ll know how to survive and enjoy your stay in the great land of India. The author is a native-born Indian diplomat with extensive experience and knowledge of his native country.

The book contains general information, like geography and weather. Before you go, some chapters will help you prepare. Getting started, financial planning , and before you travel are some of them. Information about health, insurance, and getting local connections are also provided. Besides, it covers insightful cultural and historical narratives. You’ll find all this info in the chapter: An Introduction to India .

The author talks about safety and security during your time in India. He guides you on how to act, what to do, and how to handle unique situations to make sure you enjoy your stay. You’ll figure out how to travel safely within India by air and train. He also gives tips on how to obtain travel passage to restricted or protected regions. What’s more, there’s a piece of specific advice for female travelers, making it the best travel guide books India for female travelers.

Backpackers, adventurers, female travelers, and solo travelers.

India – Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

Whether you’re traveling for work or planning a long-term trip to India, you’ll need travel guidelines to India. It will help you to understand the local culture. India – Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture is indeed a useful book. It helps you to learn important stuff about the country, whether it’s land and people, customs and traditions, or values and attitudes. Also, there are some tips on dos and don’ts and taboos. You’ll even get info about business in India!

This travel guide book India is written by Becky Stephen. She enjoys traveling and learning about cultures. Also, she studied Hindi at Banaras Hindu University and lived in Varanasi for years. The author shares her meaningful experience through a better understanding of the local culture. With this book, you’ll be aware of the essential values and behavioral norms, plus knowing how to make new friends and build relationships with the locals.

The book starts with the introduction and key facts about India. Meanwhile, the Land and People chapter contains several topics. These include a brief history of India, as well as its geography and climate. You’ll also find some information about places to eat, shops, and cultural activities. Besides, there’s a section for top places to visit and a map of India.

Long-term travelers, temporary residents, and business travelers.

Lonely Planet South India & Kerala (Regional Guide)

You’ll love Lonely Planet South India & Kerala . It’s perfect as your travel guidelines to India when visiting that particular region. The information on history and culture is very informative. Plus, there’s up-to-date advice on what to see and what not to see. So, you can discover both popular and off-beaten-path experiences. This makes the book the most comprehensive guide to South India and Kerala. It covers Goa, Kerala, Mumbai, Andaman Islands, Bengaluru, and more.

The authors have also packed the book with sights and experiences. It includes South India & Kerala’s Top 12. With this one of the best travel guide books India, you can choose activities that suit you. Do you prefer relaxing on a yoga retreat by the beach in Goa ? Or, floating along Kerala’s backwaters? This book has it covered. Meanwhile, the itineraries section helps customize your trip to your interests.

Get information on recommended accommodation, like hotels in Mumbai , and also places to eat, drinking & nightlife, entertainment, and shopping. There’s a section about how to travel with children for your next family trip. It gives you info about customs regulations, embassies, and consulates. Plus, full-color maps and images are also provided.

Family travelers, solo travelers, backpackers, business travelers, and long-term travelers.

Insight Guides India

You need to plan your trip to experience the best of India. Both paperback or digital editions of Insight Guide India can help you on your next adventure. It’s one of the best travel guide books India for travelers looking for a cultural experience. The book is written by local authors who have extensive historical and cultural backgrounds. Besides, they provide hundreds of stunning photos that capture the essence of India. Not to forget the detailed maps!

There’s a section that features India’s Top 10 Attractions. Also, it covers several regions, from Delhi in the north, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Goa, to Kerala. The information on independence, art, and architecture let you know more about the country.

You’ll find the editor’s choice for the most memorable India experiences. From seeing Hindu festivals, tasting the Indian food, to visiting Rajasthan fort. What’s more, the book includes practical information and travel tips. You’ll find about when to go and transportation. Moreover, this user-friendly travel guide book India provides invaluable maps. So, you could venture off the beaten track.

Any type of travelers, from backpackers, adventurers, business travelers, to photographers.

DK Eyewitness Delhi, Agra and Jaipur

Are you traveling to India for the first time or relocating temporarily to the capital city Delhi? Gear up with some information about the Golden Triangle for your adventures. It includes Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur, India’s most visited cities. These cities are famed for their iconic monuments and frenetic energy. Also, these regions have much to offer, including plenty of things to do in Jaipur .

For all those reasons, DK Eyewitness Delhi, Agra and Jaipur can be your best India travel guide books. Unlike most travel guide books, it’s lightweight. So, you can take it wherever you go on your trip. Also, the book is available on Kindle. The information from the book makes traveling across the three cities easy.  Whether you want to glimpse the pretty pink Hawa Mahal or get the perfect shot of the Taj Mahal, the book includes all. Not only you’ll discover reasons to love Delhi , Agra, and Jaipur, but the book also makes you know about the cities.

Like other DK Eyewitness travel guide books India, this book comes with trademark illustrations. Besides, the book provides the best places to eat, drink, and shop. Recommended accommodation is also provided. Meanwhile, the selection of itineraries allows you to make your own. What’s more, get expert advice on how to stay safe, get around, and get ready. Like all DK Eyewitness guide, the book has plenty of beautiful pictures and diagrams. Plus, it includes detailed maps and a pull-out map of Delhi.

Long-term travelers, business travelers, backpackers, and adventurers.

Travel Fearlessly in India: What Every Woman Should Know About Personal Safety

Women who are traveling to India should have the best India travel guide books. Travel Fearlessly in India written by J D Viharini is important for your first or fifth trip to the beautiful country. The author is an American woman who has made India her home. She has traveled across India since 1980, mostly alone. From the tropical south to the remote Himalayas, visit ancient temples, and attend great festivals.

With her 30 years of familiarity with India, she shares important things in travel guidelines to India. She includes the issues ladies may come across in the country. Here, you’ll find out about the mindset of Indian men and how to have safe interactions with them. She also talks about how to understand the Indian perspective on non-Indian women.

The book gives uncommon sights into how to travel and live safely in India. These include cultural factors relating to women’s safety. You’ll find comprehensive information like finding safe places to stay and how to travel safely; how to deal with potential problems and what you need to do if you have to go to the police are also provided. Her many years’ experiences make the book a great read for every female traveler before traveling to India.

Female travelers, solo travelers, and family.

Chennai & Tamil Nadu Focus Guide, 2nd Edition

Looking for specific India travel guide books to Chennai and Tamil Nadu area may be a bit difficult. That’s why the second edition of the Chennai & Tamil Nadu Focus Guide is very useful for your next trip. The book provides you with the insightful and up-to-date information you need. Are you planning to visit and explore many grand Hindu temples? Maybe you want to stop and savor the smell of jasmine garlands piled up before the carved granite gods? The book covers them all.

Also, you don’t want to miss enjoying nature in the blue Nilgiri Mountains. The book also includes information on the region’s unique history, culture, and cuisine for a richer experience along the way. Another section features practical tips on getting there and around.

Besides, you’ll get recommended and comprehensive listings of hotels, a list of restaurants and activities, including horse riding and festivals. This travel guide book India is only available in a printed edition but is slim enough to fit in your pocket. It helps you get the most out of Tamil Nadu without weighing you down. What’s more, the book provides detailed street maps for important towns and cities.

Photographers, long-term travelers, temporary residents, and backpackers.

Bradt Travel Guide: Ladakh, Jammu & the Kashmir Valley

Having the right travel guide books India is essential for the best adventures in Ladakh, Jammu, and Kashmir. Bradt Travel Guide Ladakh, Jammu & the Kashmir Valley can be your best option. Though Ladakh is becoming a more popular destination for its epic Himalayan beauty, some other areas are still off the beaten path, like Kashmir Valley & Jammu, plus Zanskar. There are so many wonders to be discovered and so many  things to do in Ladakh . So, this book is essential for travel guide book India for that specific region.

This fully updated edition helps you explore the whole area. These include Leh, Srinagar, Gulmarg, Zanskar, The Kashmir Valley, and Jammu amongst others. There are plenty of activities you can do. You may want to relax on a houseboat or take a shikara ride in Srinagar. How about exploring Buddhist culture in Ladakhi monasteries? Or, traveling in a jeep along nerve-wracking mountains roads become your choice? You can also enjoy the views from the roof of the world at the breathless Khardung La mountain pass. For adventurers, you don’t want to miss hiking to the Himalayan!

From the book, you’ll find information about these regions. Plus, trekking information, trekking maps, and new travel routes. Other highlights, like the Mughal Road, the Buddhist monks at Thiksey Monastery, and the Buddhas of Kargil are included. Also, we love the color photographs and maps. On top of that, there are Urdu and Ladakhi phrases. Get this one of the best India travel guide books in paperback or Kindle edition.

Adventurers, backpackers, climbers, hikers, and trekkers.

The Rough Guide to India

Make the most of your traveling with The Rough Guide to India ! Whether you’re visiting the world’s greatest building Taj Mahal or visiting the dramatic landscape of home to glaciers in Sikkim, it has it all. Also, the book provides very detailed and extensive information. It makes the book a perfect travel guide book India, especially if you’re preparing for the first trip to India and traveling on a budget.

The book may be a bit thick, but the e-book included is a brilliant bonus. Plus, it’s easy to use. These travel guidelines to India cover India’s cities and states north, south, and east. These include Uttar Pradesh, The Andaman Islands, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana, and more. From this book, you’ll find extensive listings of the best sights and top experiences.

Also, you can get practical advice about what to see and do. The essential pre-departure information is also provided. It includes getting around, food and drink, and accommodation. You’ll also get info about festivals, culture and etiquette, and more. The itinerary section helps you prepare your own routes, from popular tourist areas to off-the-beaten-track adventures. Besides, there’s a section that provides history, ethnic groups, religion, and wildlife. You’ll love the amazing full-color photography and practical full-color maps.

Backpackers, adventurers, and temporary travelers living in India.

Fodor’s Essential India

Get Fodor’s Essential India as your travel guide books India. It helps you plan the perfect adventure in India to be a trip of a lifetime. This guidebook is written by local writers and expert travel advisors who know the destinations better than anyone else. It’s perfect for travelers who want to travel in India but feel intimidated by the vastness of India. The travel guidelines to India are available in Kindle for a guidebook on the go. Meanwhile, the paperback is small enough to fit in your handbag and backpack.

The book starts with Experience India. This section provides the ultimate experiences you should try in India . Is it taking a sunrise boat ride on the Ganges or entering through the world’s largest door at Fatehpur Sikri? Maybe you want to wander the sprawling City Palace in Udaipur and party the night away at Goa? Meanwhile, you can have an overview of what to expect and where to go in the Travel Smart India section. It helps you with what you need to know before visit India. Also, it includes getting here and around and sample itineraries. Plus, you’ll get an explanation about history, culture, and travel tips.

This guidebook provides up-to-date coverage. From the capital city Delhi, home to Mother House Kolkata, to a financial center Mumbai . It also covers the largest Indian states Rajasthan and the coastlines of Kerala and Goa. It also includes information for side trips from Delhi. Each major city features planning, where to stay, what to do, etc. What’s more, the book provides lots of maps and illustrations to help maximize your time.

Adventurers, backpackers, photographers, and family.

Lonely Planet India

If you’re traveling to India quite often, Lonely Planet India is worth owning. It contains a lot of information about many corners of the country. Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Darjeeling, Chennai, are among them. Plus, it provides full-color maps and images. So, the book is perfect for a quick skimming before you do detailed planning and begin your journey in India. Do you want to listen to monks chanting in the shadow of the mighty Himalaya in Ladakh? Or, visiting top attractions in Agra , like the Taj Mahal? It has you covered!

The book may a little be thick, but it provides 4-easy use sections. So, you’ll find the most relevant and up-to-date advice and recommendations easily. It contains three main chapters: Plan Your Trip, On the Road, Understand, and Survival Guide. The Plan Your Trip is your planning tool kit to create the perfect trip. It provides useful information. From what you need to know, suggested itineraries, how to travel with children, to regions at a glance.

The book covers plenty of places in the country. You’ll find Agra, Goa, Bangalore, Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad, Kerala, in the On the Road section. Plus, you’ll find expert reviews, insider tips, and easy-to-use maps. Get recommended accommodation, restaurants, and shops with honest reviews. Also, there’s a special section about tips for women and solo travelers, plus scams. What’s more, you’ll find information about transportation and cultural insights. It helps you get a more rewarding travel experience.

Family travelers, business travelers, adventurers, and backpackers.

DK Eyewitness India

DK Eyewitness India can be your right choice for India travel guide books. It’s filled with information. Either you choose the printed edition or e-book, you can take this guidebook wherever you go. The design will make the most of your travels to discover and experience India. Also, the book has several main sections, including Discover India. This section is divided into some parts: Welcome, Reasons to Love India, and Exploring/getting to know India. Itineraries/India your way, and the Indian year and a Brief History.

The introduction gives an overview of India as a country. Its history, food, culture, nature, architectures are amongst others. Meanwhile, the section Experience India features cities, states, and unions. Also, this travel guide book India includes highlights of what you could experience. It’s whether you prefer to drink tea in Darjeeling or visit the unmissable Taj Mahal. Perhaps you want to escape to the beautiful Andaman Islands or hike the heights of the Himalayas?

You’ll also find 22 sightseeing areas, which contains some information. These include addresses, phone numbers, websites, and opening times. Stuck for inspiration for your schedules while in India? Worry not! There are recommended easy-to-follow itineraries. So, you could set up your plan, whether you’re staying for just a few days or few weeks. Also, there is info about the best places to eat, sleep, and transport information. Even before you’re arriving in India, you can imagine yourself there through its colorful maps and amazing pictures. What’s more, you’ll get expert advice on how to get ready and stay safe.

Backpackers, adventurers, and temporary business travelers.

Author:  John P

As a blogger, I have had the pleasure of exploring some of the most exclusive destinations, indulging in the finest cuisine, accommodations, and experiences that the world has to offer. From the chic streets Paris to the scenic beauty of the Amalfi Coast, readers luxury. my, tips on the most exclusive hotels restaurants, and activities, giving you a glimpse into the world of high-end travel. But luxury travel is not just about extravagance - it's also about immersing yourself in the local culture and experiencing the true essence of a destination. With a passion for art, history, and architecture, I seek out the hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path experiences that make each destination truly unique. So whether you're planning a romantic getaway, a family vacation, or a solo adventure, my blog is your guide to the ultimate European luxury travel experience. Join me on my journey as we explore the best that Europe has to offer, one luxurious destination at a time.

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Top 10 Best Indian Travel Guide Books To Read in India

Best indian travel guide books.

Are you a travel lover? Do you love to read travel stories? Amazing! Through our years of travel experiences, we have come up with this content to explain to you in detail about top travel storybooks in India. So, the best Indian travel guide books are as follows:

List of Top 10 Best Travel Guide Books For India – 

• Enjoying India to the Fullest
• Rough Guide To India
• India (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)
• India Bites You Somehow
• Frommer’s India
• Wanderlust and Lipstick
• DK Eyewitness Travel Guide
• India – Culture Smart
• Fodor’s Essential India

1. Enjoying India to the Fullest – Indian Travel Guide Book

 Author – Shalu Sharma 

This is one of the best books about travel in India . This book is essential if you plan to visit India. Many people travel to India without knowing what to do or what to eat. This book will help you to plan your trip to India. Enjoying India book will provide information to help travelers navigate India’s vast landscape and get the most out of India. 

2. Rough Guide To India

Author – Rough Guides

Rough Guide To India is among the best Indian travel guide books  and is the most comprehensive guide to India. These Rough Guide Books are actually comparable to the Lonely Planet guides.  Rough Guide To India books is bravely open about the places they cover. This book covers India’s history, language, and culture as well as its politics and culture. It also includes information about bribes and drug use and Bollywood movies. It is the best and most comprehensive guide to India.

3. India (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)

Author – Michael Benanav, Anirban Mahapatra, Bradley Mayhew, Mark Elliott, Paul Harding, Lindsay Brown

Lonely Planet Travel Guides is among the best Indian travelogue books  and is essential if you’re planning to visit India for the first time. It includes traveler maps, a guide to places to stay and eat, and great information about India.

4. Holy Cow – India Travel Book

Author – Sarah Macdonald

Holy Cow is among the best travel guide books for India . This book describes a rollercoaster ride through a land full of contradictions and chaos with a woman who is on a mission for her soul, her love life, and her sanity. Sarah MacDonald, an ABC journalist, spent two years on the Indian sub-continent before preparing this book.

5. India Bites You Somehow – True Life Tales

Author – Kai Mayerfeld

This book features stories about westerners who have lived in India. This book contains 40 real-life stories from people who traveled to India from 19 different countries. Although it is not intended to be a guidebook, this book offers a glimpse into Indian spiritual life. 

India Bites You Somehow – True Life Tales is among the best books on Indian travel . This book will help you connect to India if you haven’t yet set foot in India. This collection of stories from travelers around the globe will open your eyes to India.

6. Frommer’s India – Travelling Books India

Author – Pippa De Bruyn

Frommer’s India is among the best Indian travel guide books . It is a guidebook that will help you plan your trip from the beginning. This book is handy if you’re looking for tips on traveling in India. Frommer’s India book covers everything you need to know about India: where to stay, what food to eat, driving there, how to avoid being scammed, and how to make the most of your time.

7. Wanderlust and Lipstick: A Guide for Women Travelling to India

Author – Beth Whitman

Wanderlust and Lipstick: A Guide For Women Travelling To India book was written with women in mind. This book focuses on India’s culture and offers travel tips, such as how safe to be, what to wear, how you can deal with poverty, how personal belongings are safe, and a list of Hindi words. Wanderlust and Lipstick: A Guide For Women Travelling To India is among the best Indian travel guide books . This book also includes advice from women who have traveled abroad.

8. DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Best Indian Travel Book

Author – Anna Streiffert

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide will take you to India, where you can join thousands of people visiting India to see the Taj Mahal lit up in the morning light, or enjoy Goa’s golden shores. This book is among the best travel guide books for India .

India’s vast landscapes are as varied as they are inspiring. Modern skyscrapers meet centuries-old mosques in cities while tigers glide through lush jungles that separate the Himalayan heights from the beaches of the Keralan coast.

The updated guide to India transports you there like no other guide. It features expert-led advice and insights, photos on almost every page, and hand-drawn illustrations that place you in the iconic buildings and neighborhoods of the country.

9. India – Culture Smart: The Essential Guide To Customs & Culture

Author – Becky Stephen

India’s 1.2 billion inhabitants are as diverse and vibrant as Old Delhi’s spice markets. Every region, caste, and community has its own culture. Each one reflects unique history shaped by religion, creativity, conquest, and war. The Indians, a people steeped in old traditions and extremely fatalistic, are passionate about their culture and are world leaders in science and technology. If you show interest in their country, it will be repaid with warmth and friendship.

 India – Culture Smart: The Essential Guide To Customs & Culture will teach you the fundamental values and behavior norms of India, help you navigate cultural differences, build relationships and provide invaluable insight into this fascinating, vast land. All this makes this book among the best Indian travel guide books .

10. Fodor’s Essential India – Best Travel Guide Books

Author – Fodor’s Travel Guides

If you are looking for an India travel book pdf , you can search for Fodor’s Essential India . Fodor’s Essential India was written by locals and is the ideal guidebook for anyone looking for tips on how to get the best out of their trip to Delhi, Mumbai, and other cities. This India travel guide includes detailed maps and brief descriptions that will make it easy to plan your trip.

India is a country full of exciting and intriguing contrasts. There are beautiful palaces juxtaposed with simple temples. Modern high-tech industry mixes well with traditional customs and rituals. This vast country is rich in attractions and activities. Fodor’s Essential India provides a comprehensive guide to the best sights and things to do.

There are many travel books by Indian authors for you to read. Indian travel writers such as Janhavi Acharekar, Anees Jung, Rosy Thomas, and Romola Butalia have written many amazing travel books. Make sure to read them all. Take care!

Read More – 

• 25+ Most Important Things To Carry While Travelling
• Top 10 Best Comfortable Cars For Travelling in India
• Top 10 Best Indian Hotel Booking Websites or Apps
• Top 10 Best Indian Travel Websites or Travel Apps
• Top 10 Best Indian Travel Vloggers On YouTube
• Top 5 Bengali Travel YouTubers In Kolkata 
• Top 12 Best Trekking Companies In India 
• Top 10 Best Travel Agency in Kolkata
• 10 Best Tourism Courses In India 
• 10 Best Travel and Tourism Management Colleges in India

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Red Around the World

Your friendly guide to national parks, road trips, and all things outdoors.

35 Must-Read Books Set In India That Will Make You Want To Visit

Table of Contents

There are affiliate links in here.  I get a small commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you.

If you’ve been here for a while, you’ll know one of my favorite places to read about is India.  I love it.  Shantaram is one of my favorite books that I’ve been thinking about re-reading and made me finally sit down and write this list where you’ll find some of the best books set in India.

Whether you’re getting ready to visit India, looking for a reason to visit India , or just want to escape through a book, there is plenty here for you to choose from. 

You’ll find books about life in India, non-fiction books about India, fiction books about India, India travel books, Indian memoirs, and everything in between. 

The only thing you probably won’t find on this list is older books that would probably fall more into the category of a classic.

If you’re interested in  trying Audible,  you can get your first month free!  This is a great option if you want to listen to books more.  If you’re on more of a budget, try Scribd!   You can get your first two months free there.

The Road to East India

Devika A. Rosamund wrote this memoir when she traveled to India alone in 1976 when she was just 22.  She recorded and reflected on her experiences, emotions, and relationships formed along the way.

She started her six-week journey starts in Amsterdam where she takes a bus to Iran.  From there she takes local transportation through Afghanistan and Pakistan to get to India.

Piscine Molitor, Pi, is from Pondicherry and has always explored issues of spirituality and practicality from a young age.  

After being on a ship that wrecks in the Pacific Ocean, he survives for 227 days with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.  This seems to be one of those “classic” books set in India you just have to read eventually.

Cracking India

Narrated by a precocious child, Cracking India is about the Partition of India in 1947.   Lenny Sethi is kept out of school because she suffers from Polio and spends her days with her nanny Ayah, who happens to be beautiful and always draws a big group of admirers.  

During her time spent with this odd group of characters, she learns about religious differences, religious intolerance, and the blossoming genocidal strife on the eve of Partition.  

Soon she begins to learn and spot the differences between Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs while engaging in political arguments around her.  

While she has enjoyed a privileged life in Lahore, her world is turned upside down when Ayah is kidnapped.   Soon she’s experiencing a world of religious, ethnic, and racial violence.

Rashid’s opium room on Shuklaji Street in Old Bombay is full of this and potent air as a beautiful young woman leans across to hold a long-stemmed pipe over a flame.   Men around her mutter in their own gloom and drift with their own tides.  

Narcopolis captures the rich, chaotic, hallucinatory dream that is Bombay in the 1970’s when there are whispers of Pathar Maar, the Stone Killer, collecting nameless, invisible, poor victims.  

It’s said here that you should only introduce your worst enemy to opium.   The streets are full of stray dogs in packs, hustling street vendors, hookers calling from cages, and pimps watching on from their doorways. 

The Elephanta Suite

This is the tale of three Westerners transformed by their travels in India, woven together by the master of the travel narrative, Paul Theroux.  

This book captures the tumult, ambition, hardship, and serenity marking today’s India with the travelers venturing far off the beaten path to discover woe, truth, and peace.  

A middle-aged couple on vacation quickly goes from idyll to chaos, a Boston lawyer ends up in the slums of Mumbai, and a young woman befriends an elephant in Bangalore.  

Along the way, we meet a cast of Indian characters reflective of the country’s wonderful ironies: an executive that wishes he were a spiritual beggar, a young striver with a personality rewired by acquiring an American accent, and a miracle-working guru. 

Slowly Down the Ganges

Eric Newby, a self-confessed river lover, sets out on a 1200-mile journey down the Ganges from Hardware to the Bay of Bengal on his 44th birthday with his wife Wanda.  

Things start off rough, with them running aground 63 times in the first six days, but soon things start to look up on India’s Holiest River and it begins to live up to its reputation.  

They travel in a variety of unsuitable boats, by bus, and by bullock cart as they become acquainted with the colorful history and shifting moods of the river. 

I love reading books about traveling long distances in unusual ways and this is one book about India I am very excited to read.

Maximum City

Suketu Meehta gives us and insider’s view of the stunning Bombay metropolis.   We get to see the city from new and interesting angles, like the criminal underworld of rivaling Muslim and Hindu gangs, the life of a bar dancers raised in poverty and abuse, and the inner sanctum of Bollywood.   We hear the stories of countless villagers who seek out better lives and end up on the sidewalks instead. 

The Palace of Illusions

This is a reimagining of the famous Indian epic, the Mahabharat, told from the perspective of an amazing woman, taking us to a place of half history, half myth.  

Panchaali, the narrator, is the wife of the legendary Pandavas brothers from the Mahabharat.   The story follows the princess Panchaali, beginning with her birth in fire and following her life with five husbands that were cheated out of their father’s kingdom.  

She stays by their side through the years of civil war and exile.   We, however, never lose sight of her strategic duels with her mother-in-law, her friendship with Krishna, or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands’ most dangerous enemy. 

In Nine Lives wee get to explore the way traditional religions are viewed in modern India, showing ways of life we may never have otherwise known.  

We follow a middle-class woman from Calcutta living as a Tantric in a skull-filled cremation ground, a prison warden that is worshipped as an incarnate deity for two months of every year, a Jain nun that watches her closest friend ritually starve herself to death as she tests her powers of detachment, an illiterate gatherer that keeps a centuries-old 200,000-word epic alive in his head, a temple prostitute that reluctantly joined the trade, yet forces her daughters to join a trade she regards as a sacred calling, and more through this spellbinding story.

The Age of Kali: Indian Travels & Encounters

After living in India for ten years, William Dalrymple, we are treated to The Age of Kali as he senses the region is slipping into the most fearsome of all epochs in ancient Hindu cosmology: the Age of Kali, a time of strife, corruption, darkness, and disintegration. 

The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian

Nirad Chaudhuri tells the story of his childhood in the Bengali countryside, youth in Calcutta, and life in modern India through his own self-discovery and fiercely independent viewpoint.  It’s a story of deep conviction, charm, and intimacy.

Ticket to India

Maya and Zara are going to visit their grandmothers childhood home in search of a chest of family treasures left behind when her family fled for Pakistan during the Great Partition.  On their way to Aminpur in Northern India, they become separated and Maya is alone.

She is determined to find the chest and continues her journey with the help of an orphan named Jai.  This is a fun YA book set in India if you want something a little lighter.

A Search in Secret India

This is Paul Brunton’s story of traveling around India living with, some convincing and some not so much, yogis, mystics, and gurus.  Once he meets Sri Ramana Maharishi, he finally finds the peace and tranquility that comes with self-knowledge.

Lin escapes prison in Australia and flees to India on a fake passport and begins to get to know the underworld of Bombay with his new guide and friend Prabaker. 

They meet beggars, gangsters, prostitutes, holy men, soldiers, actors, and exiles from other countries.  Lin spends his time looking for love, running a clinic in one of the city’s poorest slums, and apprenticing with the Bombay mafia.

Two people that help unlock these mysteries are Khader Khan and Karla.  A mafia godfather, criminal, philosopher, mentor, and an elusive, dangerous, beautiful woman driven by her passions and secrets.  This is personally one of my favorite books ever.  It’s really long but SO WORTH IT.

City of Djinns

William Dalrymple explores the seven “dead” cities of Dehli as well as the eight – today’s Dehli.  He peels back the layers of Dehli’s centuries past revealing a unique cast of characters including a eunuch and descendants of great moguls.

At the heart of his explorations is the legend of the djinns, fire formed spirits that ensure the city’s phoenix-like regeneration no matter how many times it is destroyed.

Karma Gone Bad

Jenny Feldon is an Upper West Side housewife who finds herself being relocated to Hyderabad, India with her husband.  Instead of the glamorous yoga-filled life she imagined, she’s faced with buffalo-induced traffic jams.  She struggles with depression, bitterness, and anger as her sense of self and marriage begin to unravel.

The White Tiger

Balram Halwai: Servant, philosopher, entrepreneur, murderer.  Over the course of seven nights we are told the story of how Balram became who he is. 

He was born in the dark heart of India but gets a break when he’s hired as the driver of the richest man in the village, his two Pomeranians, and his very unlucky son.

While his peers flip through Murder Weekly, barter for girls, drink liquor, and perpetuate the Great Rooster Coop of Society, he sees his employers bribe for tax breaks, barter for girls, drink liquor, and play their own role in the coop.

While all this is happening, Blaram learns how to siphon gas, deal with corrupt mechanics, and refill and resell Johnnie Walker Black Label Bottles.  And he finds a way out of the coop that no one else inside it sees.

Sideways on a Scooter

Miranda Kennedy left her reporting job in New York City to travel India with no employment prospects.  She longed to immerse herself in turmoil and excitement of a rapidly developing country. 

Soon she learns life in Dehli is less westernized than she expected.  It’s next to impossible to rent an apartment as a single woman and she has to perch sideways on scooters.

Spending five years in the city, she experiences friendships, love affairs, and losses opening up the world of Indian politics and culture along with her own opinions of food, clothes, marriage, and family.

We get to meet several Indian women whose lives she is drawn into along the way.  While she sees India as the land of call-centers and fast food chains, she soon learns it’s an ancient place where women’s lives have scarcely changed for centuries.

This one has been on my TBR forever and if you’re looking for a book about expat life in India, this is a good choice.

Mountain Shadow

This is the sequel to Shantaram (but works as a standalone novel) following Lin on a new adventure through more shadowy worlds and cultures. 

At the beginning of the story, Lin has happiness and love, but soon he gets a call from a friend in need and he has to go help, even if it jeopardizes his love and happiness.

When he arrives, he enters a room of eight men that all play a significant role in the sotry: one becomes a friend, another an enemy.  One will try to kill him and one will be killed by another. 

We met some of the characters in Shantaram but are introduced to new ones as well, like Navida Der, a half-Irish, half-Indian detective and Edras, a philosopher with fundamental beliefs.

Sarah McDonald visited India in her twenties and left with memories of heat, pollution, and poverty.  When an airport beggar read her palm and said she would one day return to India – and for love, of all things – she said Never! and gave him, and the country, the finger.

Well, eleven years later she finds herself being relocated to the most polluted city on Earth, New Dehli, when her husband is posted there for work.  For her, it seems like the ultimate sacrifice for love and almost kills her, literally, with a double case of pneumonia soon after their arrival. 

After that harrowing experience, she begins her journey of discovery through India in search of the meaning of life and death.

The Girl and the Tiger

Isha loves animals but struggles in school.  She is sent to the Indian countryside to live with her grandparents where she discovers a Bengal tiger taking refuge in a sacred grove.

She knows the shrinking forests mean shrinking tiger habitats and when local villagers discover the tiger, she finds herself in a life or death cultural controversy. 

Her encounters with tribal people, elephants, and her search for the wild jungle are the sources of her revelations about the human relationship with the natural world.

This is by Paul Rosalie who wrote Mother of God , one of my favorite books.  I can’t wait to read this one, too!

Man-Eaters of Kumaon

If you don’t like big-game hunting/hunting/animal violence, skip right on to the next book.

Jim Corbett is a world-renowned big-game hunter.  He killed his first leopard before ehe turned nine and this is a collection of ten stories of him pursuing and shooting tigers in the Indian Himalayas in the early years of the century.

Along with the tales of hunting, we learn about the exotic flora, fauna, and village life in this treacherous region of India.

No Beast So Fierce

In Nepal in 1900 the single deadliest animal in recorded history began stalking humans in the lush foothills of the Himalayas .  A young local hunter was dispatched to stop the now legendary man-eater before it added to it’s 436-life death toll. 

At the turn of the century and British rule of India tightened, bounties were put on tigers heads. A tigress was shot in the mouth by a poacher but survived and began her reign of terror.  Instead of her normal prey, she moved to something easier: humans. 

Over the next seven years, she terrified locals and became bolder with every kill.  Finally, desperate for help, colonial authorities called on Jim Corbett for help.

Henna for the Broken Hearted

Sharell Cook is 30, living in Melbourne with her childhood-sweetheart husband with a high-powered job and plenty of extra cash.  But soon it all falls apart and she finds herself traveling to India to do volunteer work. 

While reinventing herself sounded easy, it’s not, especially in the chaos that is India.  Just as she’s wondering if things will ever work out, she meets a man and her transformation begins.

May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons: A Journey Among the Women of India

Elisabeth Bumiller spent three and a half years as a reporter for The Washington Post in India.  This is the fascinating and tragic stories of the women she met while she was there including wealthy sophisticates in New Dehli, villagers in the northern plains, movie starts in Bombay, intellectuals in Calcutta, and health workers in the south.

Travelers’ Tales India: True Stories

India is one of the most difficult places to travel and finds a lot of people saying they’ll never return, while just as many are drawn back time and time again.  It is the best show on Earth.

It dissolves ideas of what it means to be alive and it’s people give new meaning to compassion, perseverance, ingenuity, and friendship.  Experience the monsoon where the Indian and Pacific Oceans meet, track the endangered One-Horned Rhinoceros through the jungles of Assam, encounter the anguish of the caste system, and much more.

India: From Midnight to the Millennium and Beyond

Shashi Tharoor shows how the challenges facing the world’s largest and most diverse democracy will affect America in the 21st century.  This is perfect if you’re looking for a book on the history of India.

No Full Stops in India

We get to see a series of stories from India’s Westernized elite who are cut off from local traditions, exploring Calcutta, the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad (the biggest religious festival in the world), and the televising of a Hindu epic.  Throughout, Mark Tully analyze major issues while sharing the realities of Indian life.

Chasing the Monsoon

This is the tale of Alexander Frater following the Indian summer monsoon.  On May 20th the monsoon begins coming in from the east and the west, meeting in central India within seven or eight days of July 10th. 

Frater follows the monsoon, sometimes in it, sometimes before it, and sometimes after it, to see the impact of the phenomenon.

All the Fishes Come Home to Roost: An American Misfit in India

At seven years old, Rachel Manija Brown’s parents, post-60s hippies, moved them from California to an ashram in a cobra-ridden, drought-stricken spot in India. 

We meet a wonderful cast of characters including the colorful ashram leader, the grunting and howling librarian, a holy madman, and a delusional Russian claiming to be Meher Baba reincarnated.

Karma Cola: Marketing the Mystic East

In the late 60s, hundreds of thousands of Westerners descended upon India searching for the magic and mystery missing in the lives. 

Gita Mehta, an Indian writer, was placed ideally to observe the European and American “pilgrims” interacting with their hosts.

Here, we get to see her sharp observations of what happens when traditions of an ancient, long-lived society are turned into commodities and sold to those who don’t understand them.

The Spiritual Tourist: A Personal Odyssey Through the Outer Reaches of Belief

The spiritual tourist can be found on a pilgrimage to see the Dalai Lama in the Himalayas, blissed out in Germany with a beautiful Indian girl thought to be “the Divine Mother”, witnessing miracles in the ashram of Sai Baba, and searching for the Messiah in the London back streets.

No matter what, they’re all looking for inner illumination and awakening.  The holy, the lost, the wise, and the foolish are brought together on the highways and backroads of spiritual tourism.

In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India

Even though it is slated to become the third largest economy within a generation, it remains a mystery to many Americans.  In this book, Edward Luce, a journalist that covered India for years, makes sense of India and it’s rise to global power.

In the book, he sheds light on many of India’s contradictions like it’s booming tech sector, which only employs one million of it’s 1.1 billion people.

Only 35 million people have formal enough jobs to pay taxes while three-quarters of the population live in extreme depravation in it’s 600,000 villages.  This is informed by scholarship and history, but equalized with humor and rich in anecdotes.

The Hundred-Foot Journey

This is actually a fiction foodie travel book, spicing things up here. Hassan was born above his grandfather’s modest restaurant in Mumbai and is where he first experienced life through whiffs of spicy fish curry, trips to local markets, and gourmet outings with his mother.

Soon tragedy pushes them out of India and they console themselves by eating their way around the world eventually ending up in a small village in the French Alps.

The boisterous family takes the village by storm when they open an inexpensive Indian restaurant and bring the spice of India to the sleepy village.

Their restaurant is right across from Madame Mallory’s esteemed French relais and only after she wages culinary war with the family does she finally agree to mentor Hassan, leading him to Paris to open his own restaurant.

FoodSutra: A Memoir of the Foods of India

This is a foodies experience with the exploration of food in India told with quirky facts and stories. The author describes regional cuisines and their main dishes that he connects with his travels, experiences, and memories over many decades. Over 400 dishes are covered including ingredients, methods of cooking, and even facts and anecdotes about each.

Other book posts you may like:

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Have you read any of these books?  What is your favorite book set in India?

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14 thoughts on “ 35 Must-Read Books Set In India That Will Make You Want To Visit ”

Interesting! I would like to add ‘The Hungry Tide’ by Amitav Ghosh, any of Ruskin Bond’s books, ‘The Toss of a Lemon’ by Padma Viswanathan and definitely ‘A Suitable Boy’ by Vikram Seth.

Thank you! I’ll have to check those out for sure!

I think I would like to read Nine Lives! It seems like it has just the right amount of grit for me.

Yes! That one sounds really interesting!

I like your collection of Indian books even though I haven’t read most. I am intrigued to pick up one and start reading.

Thank you! There’s a lot of great ones to choose from!

Being an Indian, I can say you have listed some great books. Love it so much.

Thank you! It’s one of my favorite places to read about so far. Someday I’ll visit!

Thank you for this interesting list. Happy to see a few books about tigers !

I’m excited to read some of the tiger ones soon!

Love these suggestions! I’ve been looking for new books to read and I also love a book with a good travel theme 😁 thanks for this list!

Thank you! I hope you enjoy them 😃

Amazing post with best information.

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10 of the best books set in India – that will take you there

Tired of narratives that obsess over spices, colours and cows on the road? These books, all by Indian writers, paint realistic pictures of the country’s geographical, cultural and political landscapes

Share your own suggestions in the comments below

W hen I researched my book Around India in 80 Trains , one of the small joys of my four-month railway adventure was idling on platforms and rummaging through the iconic old Wheeler stalls for paperbacks to keep me company. Sometimes I’d get conned with pirated copies, flicking hungrily to the last few pages only to find they were missing, or the final lines had slid off the photocopied page. But for the most part my rucksack was stacked with stories that shaped the curves of my journey.

Tired of narratives that obsess over spices, colours and cows on the road, I’ve chosen books by Indian writers only; after all, who knows a country better than its own people? Where the authors have used the old names of cities, I’ve done so too, in order to convey the duality of their nature: having spent a couple of years living in Madras as a child, I know the familiar emotions and memories that the name conjures up, whereas Chennai is a completely different city to me.

Small Days and Nights by Tishani Doshi

“Return is never the experience you hope for,” Doshi begins, setting the tone for the story of Grace, a young woman coming back to Madras after her mother’s death, to find she has inherited a pink beach house down the coast – and a sister with Down’s syndrome. Small Days and Nights is a compelling story about family, which follows Grace as she slips between Madras, Kodaikanal and Paramankeni, her needs, wants and urges changing with her surroundings as she tries to reconcile desire with duty. A poet, dancer and novelist, Doshi centres the female body in all her work, and it’s through the weight of Grace’s legs, or the lightness in her bones that we, too, feel the effects of the “womb noise” of the sea in Paramankeni, the whiplash of Kodaikanal rain that “smells of sex”, and the dreamy transitional city of Madras, where the trees look weak and hungover.

Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil

With characteristic brazenness, Thayil opens with a dedication to HCV – the hepatitis C virus that he contracted while sharing needles and injecting government morphine in the 1980s. It’s followed by a languorous six-page sentence that unfurls like smoke from a pipe – a prelude to a powerhouse of a novel about Bombay’s old opium dens. Built from brutality and grouted together with beauty, Narcopolis begins as a homage to a city of harmony and acceptance, celebrating Bombay as the hero of the story – a sanctuary for Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians – then morphs into an epitaph of a city “which obliterated its own history by changing its name and surgically altering its face”.

Shortlisted for the Booker prize in 2012, Thayil refuses to use “Mumbai”, a name that was forced upon its residents by the far-right Hindu Shiv Sena party, and his affection for his former home makes this a potent love letter to the island city and its dead.

Boats on Land by Janice Pariat

Like a succession of quick slaps across the face, the opening lines of each story of this debut collection make you sit up and take full notice. Parachuting the reader straight in through low-hanging quilts of cloud, Pariat drops us between the plump tea bushes in and around the hill station of Shillong, where it’s cold and damp and mists swirl with the supernatural. Here, in the furthest reaches of India’s north-eastern fingertips, we learn about Khasi politics and culture, but always with a sense of unease – where the night is “slashed by lightning”, “knifed with light”, and the sky “the colour of razor blades”. Beginning with the days of British rule and stretching up to a modern-day marital infidelity, each of the 15 stories is written in seamless prose that doesn’t jolt or falter through italics or apologetic explanations of bilati, doh thli and jadoh. If you don’t know their meanings it’s up to you to look them up.

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

Adiga upset many middle-class Indians when The White Tiger hit their bookshelves like a sledgehammer, winning him the Booker prize. Written from the perspective of Balram, the son of a rickshaw puller, the book is a series of letters that he writes feverishly, but never sends, to the soon-to-be-visiting Chinese premier, documenting his wily ascent from tea boy to wealthy entrepreneur. Through his sharp-eyed, witty and frenzied descriptions, Adiga doesn’t just highlight the brutal injustices and corruption of Indian society but slaps them across the paper in broad, bushy strokes. Although the book was released in 2008, one line stands out for its relevance today: “One fact about India is that you can take almost anything that you hear about the country from the prime minister and turn it upside down and then you will have the truth about that thing.”

The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay

Not many novels are set in Bangalore, the more subdued sibling of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. However, here we find Shalini, a 24-year-old numbed by the banality of her privileged life in the Garden City. Since her mother’s death, three years earlier, she’s lived in limbo, unable to commit to anything and plagued by a memory from her childhood of a Kashmiri man appearing twice at their garden gate. In a feverish moment she decides to leave home to find him, swapping her weekend trips to Bali, and beer-sticky house parties, for the blue-grey mountains of Kashmir, where the air is tinged with the “medicinal sharpness of pine sap” and waterfalls churn to a “filigreed white froth”.

Vijay’s beautiful debut leaps back and forth while shining a light on a politically fractious region from the perspective of a civilian – that, too, a single woman traipsing the length of India alone in search of the unknown.

Following Fish by Samanth Subramanian

The only non-fiction on this list, this collection strings together nine stories gathered along the Indian coast, from Bengal to Gujarat. With fish as the starting point, Subramanian examines its role in food, medicine, culture and religion by talking to everyone he meets on his haphazard travels, from Goan fishermen and priests, to Kolkata hotel chefs and a faith-healing family in Hyderabad. Dense and rigorous journalism, the writing ignites when the author sits down to eat: whether he’s tasting raw fish podi made from powdered mackerel that “races to the back of the throat and proceeds to set your tonsils on fire”, or sampling toddy-shop food that is typically “kicked into a high orbit of spice”, it’s hard to resist the urge to follow in his footsteps.

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

The first Indian woman to win the Booker, Roy caused a storm in the literary world when her lyrical debut was published in 1997, spurring a number of authors who tried to emulate her style, while others decried her success – the sure sign of a good book.

Set in Kerala – known as God’s Own Country, for its vast backwaters, bent palms and cool greenery – the book opens in the brooding heat of May, when bananas ripen, jackfruits burst and crows devour the mangoes, before the monsoon breaks, tiny fish appear in puddles and “bullfrogs cruise for mates”. Tragedy has destroyed a family, and after many years an estranged pair of twins are reuniting where it all began.

Scattering capital letters and pulling and playing around with language, Roy paints a vivid picture of Indian politics, the cruelty of caste, and the “small things” that keep us afloat.

Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra

A hulking beast of a book, this delicious thriller sinks deep into Bombay’s criminal underworld, as Sikh cop Sartaj Singh goes after the infamous gangster Ganesh Gaitonde. Packed with policemen stroking splendid handlebar moustaches, lapdogs being hurled from balconies, and villains with bulging, bloodshot eyes, Sacred Games is a brilliant exploration of politics, history and corruption. For the unfamiliar, it is also a swift education in the peculiarities of the city’s various districts, like Bandra, Tardeo and Dadar, offering peeks into the homes of Bombay’s rich, “30,000 square feet of Italian marble floors tied together with intercoms”, and the poor – where residents have no choice but to “let their little daughters squat to make a mess exactly where their sons played”.

Published in 2006, the novel is now a wildly popular series on Netflix .

The Lives of Others by Neel Mukherjee

Few novels begin with the sheer horror of this one: a horror that rises from the belly, making you gasp and catch your breath before turning the page.

It is Calcutta in the 1960s and the wealthy son of a paper-mill owner has abandoned the Ghosh family to join a Maoist rebellion, helping farmers to fight their landlords while his Tolstoyan array of relatives deal with their own multitude of tribulations. Shortlisted for the Booker prize in 2014, this is a tome of extraordinary reach and richness, written by an author whose gift lies not just in his ability to imagine the lives of others but to embody them: he details how those starving outside a luxury hotel will hunt for a “stub of banana” left in a peel, while in the affluent world a whole family is “caught up in a song-and-dance” in an attempt to get food down a fussy toddler.

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

If we’re being technical, this 2006 Booker prize-winner oscillates between the Himalayan foothills of West Bengal and the basement kitchens of New York, following the lives of a judge, his granddaughter, her maths tutor, their cook and his son. But the Indian backdrop could almost be a sixth character, where the trees are “moss-slung giants, bunioned and misshapen”, and Mount Kanchenjunga looms with a “wizard phosphorescence”. Desai takes on a mammoth endeavour in linking these seemingly disparate lives, but does so with panache while also being incredibly funny. She exposes one generation suffering from a crisis of identity owing to colonialism – Judge Jemubhai Patel eating chapatis with a knife and fork – and another generation still looking to the west for a better future… while sharing a bed in shifts.

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25 Best All-Time Travel Books to Exploring India

Being the 7th largest country by area and the 2nd most populous country in the world, India is vast and diverse. With a cultural history spanning more than 4,500 years, India is notable for its religious diversity, with Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Sikhism, and Jainism among the nation’s major religions.

All these numbers (and more on Wikipedia ), can be overwhelming and it can be really hard to find out where to start your trip from or what routes or mode of transport to take if you plan on traveling to India.

In this post, I have listed out the top 25 all-time travel books to help you explore India and discover it’s beauty, rituals, culture, history, scenic rail routes , and traditions. So, whether you plan to cover the whole of India or if you intend to travel from one city or state to the other, these popular travel books can be extremely useful for you. 

#1. City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi

Author: William Dalrymple

Rating: 4.2 out of 5

#2. The Age of Kali: Indian Travels and Encounters  

#3. Banaras City of Light

Author: Diana L. Eck

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

#4. One Life to Ride: A Motorcycle Journey to the High Himalayas

Author: Ajit Harisinghani

Rating: 4.6 out of 5

#5. Coromandel: A Personal History of South India

Author: Charles Allen

Rating: 3.6 out of 5

#6. Following Fish

Author: Samanth Subramanian

#7. Wanderings in India and Other Sketches of Life in Hindostan

Author: John Lang

Rating: 4.3 out of 5

#8. Chai, Chai

Author: Bishwanath Ghosh

Rating: 3.7 out of 5

#9. The Land of Moonlit Snows: & Other Real Travel Stories from the Indian Himalaya

Author: Gaurav Punj

#10. Chandni Chowk: The Mughal City of Old Delhi

Author: Swapna Liddle

#11. India On My Platter

Author: Saransh Goila

Rating: 4 out of 5

#12. Around India in 80 Trains

Author: Monisha Rajesh

#13. Chasing The Monsoon: A Modern Pilgrimage Through India

Author: Alexander Frater

#14. The Nanda Devi Affair

Author: Bill Aitken

Rating: 3.7 out of 5 

#15. The Travelling Belly: Eating Through India’s By-Lanes

Author: Kalyan Karmakar 

Rating: 4.8 out of 5

#16. Butter Chicken In Ludhiana: Travels In Small Town India

Author: Pankaj Mishra

Rating: 3.9 out of 5

#17. If Its Monday It Must Be Madurai: A Conducted Tour of India

Author: Srinath Perur

#18. Holy Cow!: An Indian Adventure

Author: Sarah MacDonald

Rating: 3.4 out of 5

#19. Mother Earth, Sister Seed: Travels through India’s Farmlands

Author: Lathika George

Rating: 5 out of 5

#20. Worth Every Gasp: A Lone Woman’s Journey in the Himalayas…

Author: Anamika Mukherjee

#21. Hot Tea Across India

Author: Rishad Saam Mehta

Rating: 4.1 out of 5

#22. The Land of Flying Lamas & Other Real Travel Stories From the Indian Himalaya

#23. A South Indian Journey: The Smile of Murugan

Author: Michael Wood

#24. No Full Stops in India

Author: Mark Tully

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

#25. Truck De India: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Hindustan

Author: Rajat Ubhaykar

So, there goes my list of the 25 most popular and best-selling travel books to explore India. How many have you read from the above list or how many are you planning to order? Do let me know in the comments section below.

Lastly, if you loved the above compilation, I am sure you would also love this list of the 231 most popular books on Indian Railways . Do give it a look!

Related posts:

• 231 Interesting Books to Discover the Magnificent Indian Railways
• The 11 Must Have Travel Accessories for 2019

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Top 25 Best books about India

Table of Contents

My 25 picks for best books about India

THIS POST OFFERS 25 suggestions for best books about India. Some are by Indian authors, and some are by foreigners who have spent a lot of time in India. Both perspectives are useful and valid, and can help visitors struggling to understand this complex culture. However, some of the most popular books about India are not that great … if you ask me …

Shantaram and Eat, Pray, Love are two of the most popular books about India, but they are not among my favourites. In fact, I tried to read Shantaram when I was living in Delhi, but ended up literally throwing it across the room after I was about three-quarters of the way through. I thought it was poorly written and more about the fevered imagination of its writer than about India. In fact, it offers very little insight into India, if you ask me; and the longer I spend in India getting to know it, the more true this statement becomes.

Since that time, however, I’ve read lots and lots of book about India, by Indians and foreigners, and almost all of them are much, much better. If you actually want to know something about India — rather than a largely fictional story by a writer with a flair for melodrama — I suggest the following 25 books.

Books about India by Indian authors

Twilight in delhi by ahmed ali.

This book, a “cult classic,” was apparently very hard to get for many years. Ahmed Ali was a Muslim writer and professor from Delhi who was out of the country when partition was announced and Pakistan was created. He was not allowed back into India and had, instead, to settle in Pakistan. It is a prose poem dedicated to the twilight days of “old” Delhi, when the Muslim area of the city flourished. It not only captures a bygone era, it also relates some moving personal stories.

Maximum City by Suketu Mehta

This is one of the best books I have read recently. It has an ambitious scope and many small wonderful moments, and seemed Dickensian to me in its attempt to capture the spirit of the times in a big, broiling, magnificent city. This is Bombay (Mumbai): gangsters and hero cops, foot-path poets and down-to-earth movie stars. You will learn a lot more about what Bombay is really about in this book than in Shantaram .

My Experiments with Truth by M.K. Gandhi

For my money, this ranks with Memories, Dreams and Reflections by Carl Jung as a truly honest and interesting autobiography. The title says it all, and says so much about a man who just seems to be made of different stuff than you or me. It’s truly a fascinating read, as you get insight into the human being behind the myth.

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

It is intimidating to even try and summarize or review this epic book. I grew up reading Charles Dickens, and the scope and magnitude of this book is reminiscent of his style. This sweeping tale follows the live of four characters and the terrible hardships they endure living through the 1970s emergency in India. It is not easy to read as it forces you to confront the stark realities of poverty, casteism, corruption, cruelty, greed, hunger, and sometimes just plain bad luck. It’s bleak, but at the same time shines a light on the resilience of the human spirit. I learned a lot about India society and culture, too … especially the most difficult aspects.

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

In some ways, Midnight’s Children is the fictional version of Freedom at Midnight (see below). India was granted independence from British colonial rule at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947. This book is about the children born in India at the exact moment of independence, and specifically two of them — who are switched in the hospital and grow up with the wrong families. It won the Booker Prize, and then the Booker of Bookers. It’s a big story, sprawling, bawdy, maddening, magical. Midnight’s Children was made into a movie by Deepa Mehta.

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What the Body Remembers by Shauna Singh

The partition of India in 1947 led to the greatest mass movement of people in history as millions of Muslims left India to move to newly created Pakistan; and millions of Hindus and Sikhs left the part of Punjab that suddenly fell on the Pakistani side of the border. The violence that was unleashed was massive and devastating. This book is a novel about a Sikh woman who is a young bride at the time of partition — living on the wrong side of the border. The personal narrative makes the history very real. I also recommend Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh and Cracking India by Bapsi Sidhwa for the same reasons — brings the truly terrible history of partition to life. Cracking India was made into a film called Earth by Deepa Mehta, part of a series that includes Fire and Water .

India: A Million Mutinies Now by V.S. Naipul

What can I say? It’s the classic. Personally, I admire this book more than I like it. Massive, sweeping, iconic, and keenly observed, you will feel as if you have walked from one end of the country to the other by the time you have finished. It’s a portrait of India 40 years after independence, told through the stories of the many people (almost all men) that he meets and interviews along the way. V.S. Naipul received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001. 

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

Had to start this book a second time before I really got into it. It creeps into you like rain forest dampness. Very evocative and very powerful. While the setting is Kerala, in tropical southern India, it could be anywhere rural and stifling. I thought of the American deep south more than once. Strikingly original writing — but not an easy read.

City Improbable edited by Khushwant Singh

Bombay/Mumbai and Calcutta/Kolkata seem to get all the press, but there are those of us who are quite taken with Delhi. It’s a fascinating, historical, multi-layered city that sometimes seems, well, improbable. This is an excellent collection of entertaining and informative essays, and there really isn’t anyone like Khushwant Singh. He’s one of the most popular writers in India, and for a reason. His novel Train to Pakistan, about the partition of India, is also one of the best books on the subject, and was made into a movie.

Baumgartner’s Bombay by Anita Desai

This is a deceptively hardcore piece of writing from a masterful writer and storyteller. It’s about the last, pathos-filled days of a “man without family or home,” a lonely, aging foreigner in Bombay who has no where else to go. The final scenes, after he meets an unwashed hippie in a local cafe, are searingly hard to read. This book is to Shantaram what Masterpiece Theatre is to an Adam Sandler film.

All Roads Lead to Ganga by Ruskin Bond

This is a lovely piece of writing, an elegiac about Ruskin’s home in the Himalayan foothills of Uttarakhand. It reads like a love letter to the countryside and especially the nature of Dehradun, Mussoorie, and the Char Dham pilgrimage routes to the source of the Ganga (Ganges) River which naturalist Ruskin has hiked many times. I read it for the first time on a long train ride to Dehradun and it was the perfect accompaniment. Since then, Ruskin has become one of my favourite writers, and I too have settled in the Lower Himalayas — in my case, my home is in Rishikesh .

The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag by Jim Corbett

Not as well known as The Man-Eaters of Kumaon , this book is nevertheless a good read. It made me feel like a boy scout at camp, reading by flashlight — it’s that kind of book. Corbett won’t win any awards for poetic writing, but he sure can tell a good story. The descriptions of the killings can be gruesome. I read it in bed with my tabby cat stretched out across my legs and there were a few times I found myself looking at her a little more intently than usual. All of Jim Corbett’s books are page turners, and were best sellers in their day, but that’s not the main reason to admire Corbett. He was one of the first conservationists in India — I went to his home in Nainital, Kumaon on a pilgrimage. Corbett Tiger Reserve is named after him.

Books about India by foreign authors

Kim by rudyard kipling.

This is my favourite book of all time. If you’ve never read it, throw out everything you think you know about Kipling, who was the most famous writer of his time. It’s a masterpiece. I read it with my jaw on the floor. I have never read a book that is so in the moment.

The book follows the story of teenage Kim, son of an Irish immigrant and ‘friend of all the world’, who travels the roads of India with his guru, an elderly Tibetan lama on a spiritual quest for a river of enlightenment. It is unique and uncanny in its ability to absolutely immerse you into the scene and the story. You can feel the oppressive heat of the plains and the crisp air of the mountains. You can imagine Kim’s excitement about rejoining his friend on the road after a stint locked-up at school. You can feel the old man’s pain as his quest seems to elude him, and the love he engenders in Kim, his disciple.

You tramp along with Kim down the streets of Lahore, on the Grand Trunk Road, through Himalayan passes. Every sound, every smell, every gesture, every accent is evoked. The dust swirls around you, the smell of cooking food entices you, the fresh air of the mountains revives you. Kipling knew the road in India, and he knew how to capture it in words. And Kipling is not just a master of description — he is a master story-teller. Like India herself, this story is bold, complex, subtle and ambiguous. And you will be carried away by the transcendent ending.

A Search in Secret India by Paul Brunton

A cult classic, it’s about the author’s sincere, strange, and ultimately inspiring search for spiritual truth in India. This is a fascinating book that starts slowly and becomes very compelling. Brunton was way ahead of his time — this book was published in 1935 and it’s about his search for a spiritual master in India. He admits to being skeptical; admits to getting duped by fakes; and almost dies in a Bombay hotel room. But something pushes him forward and after about a year of searching, traveling and living in very (and I mean very) rough conditions, he meets Sri Ramana Maharishi . That is when the book becomes transcendent, and impossible to put down. The last part of the book, about Sri Ramana Maharishi, is just about the best writing I have ever read by a spiritual seeker. It’s truly riveting. This is the book that introduced Sri Ramana Maharishi to the west (and he remains one of the greatest Indian saints of the 20th century).

Empire of the Soul by Paul William Roberts

This is the book I hope Shantaram readers graduate to read. It is about two lengthy trips journalist Roberts took to India, separated by many years; and about how he reconciles some of the extraordinary experiences he had there. Roberts is known for hard-boiled books about war-torn countries like Iraq, so when he writes about his spiritual awakening, it rings true.

Roberts was just another youthful seeker backpacking around the subcontinent in the 1970s. The difference is a) India really got under his skin and he had some amazing spiritual experiences and b) he can write, and he has his own unique style.

Out of India by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

You may know her name as the screenwriting partner behind many wonderful Merchant-Ivory films, including A Passage to India. She was a European who married an Indian architect and lived the rest of her life in Delhi. The introduction to these short stories — in which she presents herself as a foreigner living indolently in India — alone is worth the price of the book. It’s hands-down the best piece of writing I have ever read about what it is like to be a foreigner in India. Absolutely priceless. She nails the cultural divide, which I experience on a daily basis. She’s one of my favourite writers, anytime, anywhere.

India’s Unending Journey by Mark Tully

Tully was the BBC’s chief correspondent in India for many years.He’s a good writer and he knows India. India’s Unending Journey is by far the most personal of the many books he wrote on India. It’s about his own psychological and spiritual journey as he learns from India to be “certain about uncertainty.” And he says it’s the most valuable thing he has ever learned. I can relate. Compelling reading. Also like No Full Stops in India. Actually, anything by Mark Tully.

A Passage to India by E.M. Forster 

One of my favourite books and movies about India by a foreigner. Written in 1924, A Passage to India tells the story of an impressionable young British woman who comes out to India to potentially marry the city magistrate of fictional Chandrapore. In India, she comes face to face with the stark realities of colonialism, the mysteries of eastern spirituality, the differences between eastern and western world views and, most importantly, her own inner darkness. It’s a very thought-provoking book with lots of great characters, and the epic film directed by David Lean does it justice.

City of Djinns by William Dalrymple

I was torn, not sure which Dalrymple book to put on this list. They are all good, especially Nine Lives . He is a solid as a rock in terms of research, reporting and writing. But this is his first book about India and it’s about Delhi (Dilli), my home-away-from home in India — and in fact, his real home. He lives there now. He has an Indian soul. The book is both a personal narrative about living in India for a year and about the history of Delhi. (And if there’s one thing Delhi has, aside from crowds of people and traffic, it’s history.) It’s by turns informative and funny. I keep intending to find out if International Backside taxi stand really exists.

P.S. Dalrymple is the found of the Jaipur Literature Festival.

P.P.S. I finally got a chance to ask Dalrymple if International Backside taxi stand was real and yes, he confirmed that it was.

Freedom at Midnight by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre

On the stroke of midnight, August 15, 1947, India became free. This is the classic book about the biggest event in modern Indian history: the freedom struggle, partition and birth of a nation. You cannot begin to know or understand modern India if you don’t have a grip on its struggle for independence and the larger-than-life players who made it happen, especially Gandhi, Nehru, Mountbatten and Jinnah. The film Gandhi , directed by Richard Attenborough, gives you a lot of the same information, but this book fills in all the holes.

Chasing the Monsoon by Alexander Frater

Like Dalrymple, Frater is a British journalist with a passion for India. The documentary based on this book, same title, stands as my all-time favourite documentary. Frater goes on a sometimes profound and sometimes whimsical journey to follow India’s monsoon to the wettest place on earth, Cherrapungi in the Indian state of Meghalaya.

Holy Cow by Sarah MacDonald

A classic. Every time I think of the iron scene, I start chuckling as I picture Sarah’s face hidden by her hands so the very serious servants won’t realize she’s actually bursting with laughter over the missing iron. I laugh even more since I experienced living with servants in a Delhi household. The book is both hilarious and also moving as she traces her own relationship to India from reluctance and disdain to head-over-heels, unabashed love.

Slowly Down the Ganges by Eric Newby

Eric and his wife took a slow boat down the Ganges in the days before India’s modernization began. It’s a fascinating journey, written in precise detail that makes every agonizing minute they are dragging the big tin boat over rocks and sandbanks almost painful to read.

Calcutta edited by Geoffrey Moorhouse

The history of Calcutta, from its founding in 1690 by Job Charnok, an agent of the East India Company, is inextricably linked to the history of the British in India. Calcutta was the capital of the British Raj until it was moved to Delhi in 1911. The tales Moorhouse chose make for fascinating reading. They cover many eras, many subjects and include well-known authors as well as excerpts from the diaries of English women who came out to be with their husbands (or to find husbands).

An Indian Summer by James Cameron

This James Cameron was a newspaper man in India during the twilight of the British Raj. In 1972, he returned to India, newly married to an Indian woman. The book is about his return journey. It’s thoughtful, really well written and underneath his vigorous journalistic style lurks a palpable love of India. In the book, he wrote that he produced a television program with an English director with the goal of scrupulously avoiding “the picturesque… and out worn visual beauties … that had suffocated every film about India since the medium was invented.” But the plan fell through “as soon as the camera turned; it was difficult indeed to film anything in India without some element of the strange and beautiful intruding.”

I really like this book for many reasons, not the least of which is this sentence — about the rotting piles of papers piled high in the offices of Calcutta’s bureaucrats: “Their protruding edges stirred under the fans with a gentle bony crepitation.”

If you’re interested in reading more travel books, here are some other great lists:

• 50 Best travel books to feed your wanderlust

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Eat, Pray, Love and India and the quest

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Chasing Paul Theroux at the Jaipur Literature Festival in India

About Mariellen Ward

Professional travel writer Mariellen Ward is the founder of award-winning Breathedreamgo. Mariellen has a BA in Journalism and has been travel writing and blogging since 2005. She has won many awards, including a National Tourism Award from Incredible India Tourism, and writes for some of the world’s leading publications including BBC Travel and NatGeo Traveller India.

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India and beyond

45 Books Set in + About India

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India is a rich and vibrant country, and these books about India will transport you there. While India is popular with many travelers, it may not always be at the top of the travel priority list for a lot of people (although with so much to see, it probably should be, including mine!). But whether you are planning a trip there or aren’t sure you will ever get there, these books set in India can teach you so much about this country, its rich culture, complicated history, and its people.

I first fell in love reading about India with Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Interpreter of Maladies (we have another book of hers at the top of this list), and since then I’ve really discovered just how much India-based literature there is out there. There are so many books to choose from!

We’ve really tried to capture a representative cross-section here: from literary fiction dealing with colonialism and independence to historical fiction and mysteries to children’s books celebrating Diwali. Indian authors have contributed so much to literary world, and I hope you can find a book you love here!

Fiction Set in India

The lowland by jhumpa lahiri.

Jhumpa Lahiri is one of my favorite authors, and she is especially known for stories about Indian immigrants in the United States. The Lowland is perhaps my favorite of her books, and is largely set in India. This is about two brothers whose close bond tested when tragedy strikes. The impetus of this book is the events of the 1967 Naxalbari uprising in India, during which the views of the brothers take them on largely different paths. For fans of literary fiction and family stories.

A Burning by Megha Majumdar

When Jivan, a girl who lives in the slums, is caught up in the case of a terrorist attack because of a post on Facebook, the course of her life may depend on two other characters she is connected to. But these other characters also have their own self-sustaining motives. This is a novel set in contemporary India, and is a social commentary on politics especially in the age of social media. For fans of literary and contemporary fiction.

Honor by Thrity Umrigar

When India-American journalist Smita returns to India to cover a story, she is drawn into the life of Meena, who was recently attacked for her marriage to a Muslim man. Meanwhile, Smita is embarking on a very different kind of love story of her own. For fans of literary fiction.

The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajan

In a market in Dehli, a bomb goes off killing two brothers. But their friend survives, and this novel tells the story of what his life becomes and how the two families continue to live after these events. This is nuanced story about terrorism, violence, and loss. For fans of literary fiction.

The Year of the Runaways by Sunjeev Sahota

In England, a group of Indian immigrants are struggling to make a new life for themselves. While this book is largely set in the UK, huge parts of it are set in India, as it delves deep into the backstory of each character. They all come from vastly different backgrounds and classes, and yet they have all found themselves in the same place, hoping for a better future. For fans of literary fiction.

China Room by Sunjeev Sahota

In 1929 Punjab, three girls are married to three brothers. Now that they are married, they are forced to spend their days working in the family’s china room, hidden away from everyone. Mehar, one of the women, is trying to figure everything out, including which of the men is her husband. Then, in an alternate timeline in 1999, a young man from England has returned to his family’s home (which of course includes a locked china room) to overcome an addiction. For fans of historical fiction.

Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi

This is a mother-daughter story set in India. The mother, Tara, has spent her life devoted to an ashram, while her daughter, Antara, has been largely raised by others. Now Antara is an adult, and she must come to terms with her childhood as her mother ages. For fans of literary fiction.

Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag, Translated by Srinath Perur

In this slim novel, a family that had been living in poverty comes into a good deal of money. What results is a tangled mess of family relationships. Hence the title: ghachar ghochar is a phrase used to indicated something that has been tangled and can’t be undone. For fans of literary fiction and dysfunctional family stories.

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara

Nine-year-old Jai loves watching police TV shows. So when a classmate goes missing, he enlists his friends to help him solve the mystery. But as more kids start disappearing, their mystery becomes scarier. For fans of mysteries and books for adults told from the perspective of a child.

The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay

When Shalini’s mother dies, she travels to the Kashmir region of India searching for answers. There, she becomes close with a new family. But she is still an outsider, which may be dangerous in the midst of the region’s political upheaval. For fans of literary fiction.

The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

The Palace of Illusions takes one of India’s greatest epic poems, the Mahabharata , and retells it from the perspective of a woman. Panchaali helps her royal husbands reclaim their thrones, but she is also harboring a secret attraction to Krishna, her husbands’ enemy. For fans of classics retold from the perspective of women (think, Circe ).

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

Written as a letter from a driver and entrepreneur in Bangalore to the president of China who is visiting his country, this novel explores class, work, success, and morality in India. For fans of dark comedy and social commentary.

Mirror Made of Rain by Naheed Phiroze Patel

This book about contemporary India follows Noomi, an upper-class girl coming of age and trying to figure out how she can break free from the social obligations of her society. But when she moves to Mumbai, starts a new job, and falls in love, she may just be falling into the same old traps. For fans of contemporary, literary fiction.

The Archer by Shruti Swamy

Set in 1960s and 1970s Bombay, this novel centers around a woman named Vidya who falls in love with a type of dance called kathak. As she grows though, balancing her art with her life becomes a challenge. For fans of historical fiction and women’s stories.

Mother Land by Leah Franqui

When American Rachel Meyer moves to Mumbai with her husband, she had to adjust to what that means for family dynamics — especially with her mother-in-law who decides to move in with them after leaving her husband. For fans of women’s fiction and contemporary fiction.

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

After leaving her abusive husband, Lakshmi becomes a sought-after henna artist and a secret keeper for wealthy women. But when her husband shows up again with his own secret, the life she built for herself may crumble. For fans of women’s fiction and historical fiction, and if you love this book it’s the first in a triology.

The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey

This books, set in 1920s India, is inspired by the story of India’s first female attorney. In this novel, Perveen Mistry becomes the first female attorney in India and investigates the case of three widows who she suspects are being taken advantage of. For fans of mysteries.

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

This is a book about two fraternal twins in rural India whose lives are changed forever when tragedy strikes. It’s a story about a family whose life together is changing alongside the broader change happening in their country. For fans of character driven fiction.

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

This book is set in India during the 1980s near the Himalayas, where an old judge lives with his cook and his orphaned granddaughter. This is a book about loss, and reviewers consistently mention its heaviness as it deals with themes of colonialism, dashed hopes, death, and how the movement for democracy in nearby Nepal impacted the characters. For fans of literary fiction.

The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal

When their mother dies, three sisters living in the UK travel to India to lay her to rest as she wished. The three sisters have never been particularly close, and while they all have different motives for taking the trip, it will change them all, bring them closer, and reveal secrets from their past. For fans of contemporary fiction and women’s fiction.

Polite Society by Mahesh Rao

In this retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma set in Delhi, wealthy Ania plays matchmaker for her friend but finds herself caught up in her own unexpected love story. For fans of women’s fiction, rom-coms, and Austen retellings.

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

Saleem Sinai is born at the exact same time India gains its independence in 1947. His life afterward is anything but normal, as every event in his life is somehow linked to the events of India. For fans of historical literary fiction, family sagas, and modern classics.

Find even more great books for your travel reading list with these books about Ghana !

Non-Fiction Books About India

Behind the beautiful forevers: life, death, and hope in a mumbai undercity by katherine boo.

This award-winning and critically-acclaimed book delves into the lives of those living in a Mumbai slum near new luxury apartments. The families there are hopeful for a brighter future, but it’s tough to escape poverty. For fans of narrative non-fiction.

India After Ghandi: The History of the World’s Largest Democracy by Ramachandra Guha

If you’re looking for a history of India, which is of course rich and complicated, this may be the book you’re looking for. This book tells the story of India both before and since Independence, with a special focus on politics and the people who have influenced the political history. For fans of massive history books.

Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India by Madhur Jaffrey

Madhur Jaffrey is an award-winning cookbook author, and here she presents a memoir about growing up in India, where every memory is laced with the richness of food. And of course, because she’s a cookbook author, this memoir contains recipes. For fans of memoirs and books about food.

City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi by William Dalrymple

Delhi is a city that has been created and destroyed many times, known for having seven past versions of itself. This book dives into the history of Delhi and all the ways it has been recreated over centuries up to what it is now. This book is for fans of history and especially for those who might be planning a trip to Delhi.

Following Fish: Travels Around the Indian Coast by Samanth Subramanian

In these essays, Subramanian explores the coasts of India, examining the way fish impact the culture, economy, food, and more. For fans of travel memoirs and essays.

Children’s Books About India

The wheels on the tuk tuk by kabir sehgal and surishtha sehgal, illustrated by jess golden.

The Wheels on the Bus…but in India! This delightful nursery rhyme book can be read or sung, as you follow a tuk tuk through the streets of an Indian city. Recommended ages: 0-5 years.

Diwali (Celebrate the World) by Hannah Eliot, Illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan

This book of colorful illustrations teaches kids about the five days of Diwali and the important traditions of this holiday. Recommended ages: 1-4 years.

Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth by Sanjay Patel and Emily Haynes

This story of the Hindu god Ganesha has bright and delightful illustrations. Ganesha loves sweets, but one day a hard candy breaks off his tusk (which of course means he has a lesson to learn). Recommended ages: 2-5 years.

A Sari for Ammi by Mamta Nainy, Illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat

Two little girls watch their mother weave beautiful saris, but she never gets to wear any of them. So, they come up with a plan to get Ammi a beautiful sari of her own. Recommended ages: 4-8 years.

Binny’s Diwali by Thrity Umrigar, Illustrated by Nidhi Chanani

When Binny’s class is learning about different holidays, she is excited to tell them about her favorite celebration: Diwali. She teaches her class all about her favorite traditions, food, and more. Recommended ages: 4-8 years.

A Gift for Amma: Market Day in India by Meera Sriram and Mariona Cabassa

As a little girl searches for a gift for her mother, she encounters all the colors of an Indian market. Each page is dedicated to a different color, with fun and bright illustrations. Recommended ages: 4-8 years.

Monsoon Afternoon by Kashmira Sheth, Illustrated by Yoshiko Jaeggi

A monsoon is coming, and a little boy wants to go outside and play. Everyone in his family is too busy, until he finds his grandfather and they go outside to have fun in the rain and explore the way it has changed their world. Recommended ages: 4-8 years.

Grandma and the Great Gourd: A Bengali Folktale by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Illustrated by Susy Pilgrim Waters

When Grandma receives a letter from her daughter asking her to come visit, Grandma must trek through the jungle and face the treacherous animals. Recommended age: 5-8 years.

The Secret Kingdom: Nek Chand, a Changing India, and a Hidden World of Art by Barb Rosenstock, Illustrated by Claire A. Nivola

In this picture book based on a true story, Nek Chand builds an intricate rock garden when he finds himself in a new place. When the government discovers it and wants to tear it down, the community comes together to save it. Recommended ages: 7-10 years.

Middle Grade & Young Adult Books Set in India

Pashmina by nidhi chanani.

In this graphic novel, Priyanka longs to know about India—the land her mother left behind and that she doesn’t like to talk about. When Priyanka finds an old pashmina though, it transports her to India where she learns the secrets of her past. Recommended ages: 8-12 years.

Sita’s Ramayana by Samhita Arni, Illustrated by Moyna Chitrakar

The Ramayana is one of the great ancient texts from India. Here it is told in graphic novel form, as Queen Sita is kidnapped by a king and rescued by her brother. Recommended ages: 9-12 years.

Prince of Fire: The Story of Diwali by Jatinder Verma, Illustrated by Nilesh Mistry

This is another retelling of the Ramayana for kids, this time as a chapter book with illustrations. Here, Prince Rama and his bride, Sita, set off on an epic journey after Rama is banished. It ends with their return home and the festival of Diwali. Recommended ages: 9-12 years.

Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar

When Anjali’s mother joins Ghandi’s freedom movement, the life of her family changes. From giving up some of her treasured possessions to overcoming prejudice, Anjali must learn and grow and eventually step up for freedom. Recommended ages: 9 and up.

Thirst by Varsha Bajaj

In Mumbai, access to water can be difficult, especially for the poor. Minni can only get water for a few hours a day. But in the building where she starts a new job, the water supply seems endless. She also discovers a water mafia boss though, which could spell trouble. Recommended ages: 10-12 years.

Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame by Supriya Kelkar

When Meera was a child, her parents married her to a boy from another village. When she turns 13, she is expected to go live with him and his family. Instead, violence erupts, her husband is killed, and Meera finds herself working for a British officer. When she discovers violent plots in place to further the British colonization of India, she must decide whether to save herself or warn her her people. Recommended ages: 10-13 years.

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman

When four homeless kids come together in Chennai, India, they form a family. They are independent and strong, and they are skeptical of trusting adults. But they just may need to learn to trust someone in order to survive. Recommended ages: 10 and up.

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani

After the 1947 partition, when India is split into Pakistan and India, Nisha’s father decides it would be safer for them to move from Pakistan to India. Nisha has already experienced so much loss (her mother died when she was a baby), so she isn’t happy about losing her home too. But can she find hope in a new place? Recommended ages: 10 and up.

The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana

When the Emperor Sikander arrives in Shalingar, the freedom of the people is threatened. Princess Amrita offers to become the Emperor’s bride, but instead finds herself on the run. This fantasy book based in India is recommended for ages 12 and up.

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10 Books to Read before Traveling to India: Culture, History, Fiction

Every first trip to India starts with a journey through a book. Whether it’s a novel, a history textbook, or an autobiography of an Indian leader, these books open a virtual door to the perplexed caste system and vibrant culture of multifaceted India.    

Last updated: March 8, 2024

The 10 Books You Ought to Read Before Traveling to India

After centuries of exploring India, the country still remains one of the most complicated, exotic regions in Asia. Its culture and history, its ancient traditions and customs, and mostly its people never cease to fascinate the world. It’s a land that makes you either fall in love with its diversity and vibrancy or loathe everything about it with passion and swear to never come back. 

Different people get their first introduction to India from different sources. For some, yours truly included, Bollywood movies with their endless dancing and singing offer a sneak peek into the complicated way of life and multireligious culture. Somebody else’s travel experiences ignite curiosity in others. The third group forms an invisible bond with India through books. 

I joined the latter group a few years ago. With all that detailed secondhand knowledge provided by Bollywood, no book about India was supposed to surprise me. It was far from being true, though. I perused one book about India after another with the same vigor as if I would watch a new Bollywood release. 

The books opened a new side of India, prettier, uglier, and completely irresistible. Start your own discovery or rediscovery of India and its culture through these 10 books, both fiction and non-fiction. 

READ THESE 10 BOOKS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT INDIA, ITS HISTORY, CULTURE, AND PEOPLE

1. shantaram, a fiction book set in india by gregory david roberts.

Half a fiction, half or probably just a fraction a true story, Shantaram narrates about an Australian prisoner hiding in Bombay, India. With so many people focusing on their own survival, blending in and staying low in a new country is easy for Lin aka Shantaram. 

Things change rather unexpectedly when the Australian meets Karla, a vivacious woman with a secret life, and delves into the world that consists of Bombay’s slums, opium and prostitution houses, and bars frequented by expats. 

Written in the best Bollywood traditions, the book Shantaram unveils dark secrets of the biggest city of India without holding back anything. Behind dazzling saris, loud music, and intricate dancing, there is a different world. And it’s not always pretty.

2. The Space Between Us

A fiction book set in india by thrity umrigar.

Bhima is an old, illiterate Indian woman who has lived in Mumbai her entire life. At one point, Bhima was happy in the city. She had a caring husband, a beautiful daughter, and a clever son. Now only the old woman’s granddaughter, Maya, shares with her their tiny home in Mumbai’s slums.  

Neither the unfairness of life nor hard work scare Bhima. These two companions haven’t been successful at breaking down the old woman her entire life. What eats her up inside is betrayal. First by her husband, now by her own granddaughter who got herself pregnant. 

But Bhima has no time to dwell on her thoughts and self-pity. She has a lot of work waiting for her in the house of Sera Dubash, an upper-middle-class Parsi housewife Bhima has worked for for years. 

Both women have been through a lot, shared some deep secrets, and stood in the same kitchen day in, day out. But despite their physical closeness, there is an insurmountable gap between Bhima and Sera that can’t and will never disappear. 

The Space Between Us is the first book of a two-part sequel about life and struggles of women in India. A page-turner, the novel captivates you from the first page and holds your attention right until the very last sentence. You’ll never look at India in the same light after reading this thought-provoking book. 

3. The Secrets Between Us

The first book, T he Space Between Us , became an instant phenomenon among both Indian and international readers. Women all over the world were asking the author what had happened to Bhima. Thrity Umrigar responded with a new book that expands upon India that the readers saw in the first novel. 

Bhima is now more determined to get her granddaughter something she herself couldn’t dream of – the education. While still thinking about her former employer, Sera Dubash, the old woman learns how to let go of the past. 

By a stroke of irony, Bhima becomes acquainted with a bitter older woman, Parvati. The two women become business partners, selling fruits and vegetables at a local market. As they get to know each other better, the poor and forsaken women change their outlooks on the world, Indian customs, and life itself. 

A bitter-sweet story, The Secrets Between Us is a beautiful gift from an Indian woman to the women all over the world. The book depicts the side of India that often gets overlooked, the poor and forgotten but not broken women. 

4. Holy Cow! An Indian Adventure

A book about india by sarah macdonald.

Eleven years ago at an Indian airport, the author, Sarah Macdonald, swears to never come back to India. An Indian guru the girl looks down on warns her. Sarah will come back for love. The author doesn’t give him a second thought and rushes to board the airplane back home to Australia.

The guru’s prophecy comes true. Unable to stay far away from her boyfriend, the author moves to India more than a decade later. Without her usual circle of friends and regular job, Sarah set off on an adventure to test her atheistic views and search for a meaningful life. 

The book goes on depicting the author’s spiritual excursions and travels throughout India. After two years of living in the country, Sarah sees India in a completely different light. 

There is still a lot to loathe in this multireligious country. But the subtle beauty of India and its people far outweighs the first impression, a notion that you get from a book, a movie, or a brief first visit. 

5. The Story of My Experiments with Truth

An autobiography by mohandas k. gandhi.

The Indian leader who chooses pease over war is known and respected in the whole world. Politicians look up to him. Religious leaders regard him a guru. 

But the man who freed India and inspired the American Civil Rights Movement can’t accept this praise. In his own eyes, he is still a simple man who experiments with his diet a lot, constantly seeks truth, and opposes any kinds of armed clashes.

In his book, Gandhi gives an honest account of his life, studies, and ideas that make him one of the most respectful and misunderstood men in India and the world. 

6. Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing  

A practical guide to indian healing system by dr. vasant lad.

Travelers dreaming of a trip to India ought to read this book to understand the cultural aspects of the country. The oldest healing system in the world is too complex to grasp its basics in a few days. You need months and years. 

Ayurveda is more than just a thin book to peruse on an airplane to India. The ancient medicine is an essential part of Indian culture. It teaches you how to take proper care of your body, what food to eat for your dosha, how to use spices and herbs, and much more. 

In this tiny book Dr. Vasant Lad insists that Ayurveda is an alternative medicine system that can be used outside India. People all over the world reap the same positive health and well-being results once they start following these simple Ayurvedic principles. 

Read more: The 6 Best Books on Japanese Art of Happiness and Living

7. Eat. Pray. Love

A book set in italy, india, and indonesia by elizabeth gilbert.

A newly divorced woman is set to find meaning in her now perplexed life. The author travels to Italy to indulge in gastronomic extravaganza, India to find inner peace, and Indonesia because she was told she would return there. 

While Italy and Indonesia teach Elizabeth Gilbert their own lessons, India tests the woman in the most unexpected way. To some extent, the author masters meditation and vegetarianism. But the spiritual journey Elizabeth is on isn’t something the young woman is ready for just yet. 

We see only a small corner of India in Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Eat. Pray. Love. But it’s enough to stir up our curiosity and dream of traveling to this Asian country one day. 

8. Destination Wellness. Global Secrets for Better Living Wherever You Are

A non-fiction book about jamaica, norway, hawaii, japan, india, and brazil by annie daly.

Unlike Elizabeth Gilbert who wants to find herself, Annie Daly travels the world to learn well-being secrets . And of course, Ayurveda with its three doshas waits for the author in India. 

In a sense, this ancient tradition is not new to Annie Daly whose fiancé is Indian. Yet the more the young woman delves into the Indian culture, the more she realizes how relevant Ayurveda and its principles are still today. 

Before long, Annie devotes one sixth of her book Destination Wellness to the secrets she learns while traveling through India. 

9. Siddhartha

A book set in india by hermann hesse.

Siddhartha, a wealthy Indian Brahmin, questions his privileged life. Inspired to find a true meaning of life and wisdom, the young boy travels across the country. 

Far away from his inherited wealth, the boy encounters different kinds of people, from wandering ascetics to rich merchants, a poor ferryman and a beautiful courtesan. All these encounters teach Siddhartha one powerful lesson – true knowledge is within him.

Although the book Siddhartha is set in India and narrates about the people you are most likely to meet here, the novel is highly accepted throughout the world. The small book is even included in some college courses in Eastern Religions.

10. Life of Pi

A fiction book that begins in india by yann martel.

Pi Patel is a son of a zookeeper. The curious boy learns about animals and their behavior from an early age. All these knowledge is put to the test when the family emigrates from India to North America aboard a cargo ship. 

The unthinkable happens and the ship sinks. The passengers are nowhere to find, except for Pi, a hyena, an orangutan, a zebra, and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. All these unlikely survivors find themselves in a small lifeboat. The next 227 days are the most intense and frightening in Pi’s life. 

The book ends far away from India, on the coast of Mexico. Richard Parker flees to the jungle as soon as the lifeboat reaches the shore. And Pi Patel has to come up with a new story of his survival as the first one is too miraculous to believe. 

Read more: The 4 Books You Need to Read before Traveling to Canada (#1 was enough for me)

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Written by locals, Fodor’s Essential India is the perfect guidebook for those looking for insider tips to make the most out their visit to Delhi, Mumbai, and beyond. Complete with detailed maps and concise descriptions, this India travel guide will help you plan your trip with ease.

India is a country of vibrant and enticing contrasts: exquisite palaces are juxtaposed against simple temples, and modern high-tech industry coexists with ancient customs and rituals. There's much to see and do in this vast and geographically diverse country, and Fodor's Essential India covers the must-see sights better than anyone else.

Fodor’s Essential India Includes:

ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor’s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years.

Planning on visiting more of Asia? Check out Fodor’s Essential Thailand and Fodor’s Essential China .

• Print length 512 pages
• Language English
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• Publication date March 12, 2019
• Dimensions 5.1 x 0.7 x 7.9 inches
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Fodor's Travel; 4th edition (March 12, 2019)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 512 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 164097122X
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1640971226
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.4 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.1 x 0.7 x 7.9 inches
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Best Books About India

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With your India trip still months off, what better way to indulge your love for a country and learn a little more about it than by getting lost in a great book. Travel books are a wonderful way to prepare for a trip or to learn more about a country without ever leaving your armchair. Learn about Indian culture, history and traditions with these amazing books about India. India and books about India are a particular love of mine. Here are some of my favourites, high-brow, funny, factual and fantasy, I hope you enjoy them too.

If you need our full India content archive , it’s here.

Lonely Planet India (Travel Guide)

Yes, people read Lonely Planets for fun. I do. Buy the best guide book for India here.

I’ll read them from cover to cover before a trip, starting with the food, progressing to the pictures then reading in depth to plan where I want to go. These guides are pure escapism.

You can start learning the language, check out health requirements and get an idea of costs before you leave home. This is probably the most comprehensive book about India you could buy. We would always recommend taking on of these with you to India, but be warned, it’s a brick.

Are You Experienced?

This is one of those rare books that once started, I had to finish all in one go. I stayed up most of the night, pulled along by laughs and the adventures of backpackers making their way around India. Some want to find their spiritual selves, some are barely getting by and would really rather just go home. It’s fun, modern, a true reflection of the trials of Indian travel and a glorious caricature of the types of travellers you’ll meet on the road. It’s by William Sutcliffe and you can find it here.

Travels on my Elephant

 Travels on my elephant is a wonderful insight into the relationship between mahout and elephant.  Buy it here.

If you’ve read this book, you’ll want to read the sequel Queen of the Elephants

Midnight’s Children: A Novel

Midnight’s Children is a controversial modern classic, part historical novel, part allegory, it deals with India’s transition from British rule to independence post partition. Buy it here.

City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi

By William Dalrymple

Dalrymple’s classic travelogue City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi , the characters this couple meet during their time in Delhi make fascinating reading.

Shantaram: A Novel

I must admit, I didn’t love this one and lost interest towards the end, but everyone else seems to love this book so I’m including Shantaram. It’s a look at the darker side of Indian city life, slums, crime, prison, jails, drugs and Mumbai. Written by an Australian man about his life in India after escaping prison in his home country.

The parts of the book dealing with life in Mumbai’s slums were fascinating. Take a look here.

Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire

Another book about the end of British rule in India and partition.

This book set in India ells us what went on behind the scenes with the Nehrus and Mountbattens. They were very interesting and controversial families. This one really is an eye opening book. Buy it online here.

Autobiography of a Sadhu: A Journey into Mystic India

How a white westerner, became a holy man, a sadhu. A glimpse of mystical India. I loved this book ! Get it here.

Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi

A biography of this fascinating woman, sometimes described as India’s Maggie Thatcher.

 This biography gives us an insight into the extraordinary Nehru dynasty and growing up with Gandhi. Buy it here.

Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure

This one has the best cover and is another fun read. A young woman returns to India, against her better judgement, almost dies and searches for the meaning of life and death through nightclubs, Bollywood and spirituality.

There are many more fabulous books on India, fiction and factual, these are just a few favourites. We hope you enjoy them and hope that one day you make it to India, it’s our favourite country to travel. Visit our India Travel Homepage here , to find all our India posts along with plenty of tips and information.

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Alyson Long

Travel budget we don’t set one, location independent family, solopreneur, digital nomads, freedom, 2 thoughts on “best books about india”.

I totally agreed with you on Shanturam and I was so surprised to hear you say you didn’t devour it all the way through. I didn’t even finish the book. There were parts very interesting for sure. I did question whether or not it was the whole truth. Maybe it is the cynic in me or maybe it was a little embellished??

I just thought the bloke was unlikeable , that was my issue Brooke.

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10 best india travel books.

You will often hear people saying; that India is a dirty, filthy place full of beggars with terrible food – why on earth would you want to go there? Don’t let them put you off. India is undoubtedly one of the most colorful countries in the world with friendly people, great food, trek-able mountains, valleys, beaches, deserts, tiger reserves, culture , extremely eccentricity, tribal villages , tropical forests, great history , making India one of the most visited placed on the planet. In fact – it’s a museum.

If you are planning a vacation in India and know little about the country then why not buy a book on India . These books can be quite useful in providing information about India, places to visit, what to eat, where to stay on. Here are some of the best travel books on India.

Rough guide to India : One of the best guides to India. In fact, these Rough Guide Books competes with the Lonely Planet guides. These books are courageously honest about the places. The book every aspect of India from its history, language, politics, culture, food, corruption, bribes, sex, drugs and Bollywood movies and much more. It’s one of the most complete and comprehensive guide to India.

India (Lonely Planet Travel Guides) : This is a very popular and a must guide if you are planning a trip to India for the first time. The book contains traveler maps, guide to places to stay and eat for all budgets, great health information for travelling to India, history, about the use of transportation in India and even has a section on India’s religions.

Frommer’s India : This is a classic guide book that plans your journey from the start. It is a useful book if you are looking tips to travelling in India. It does cover a large amount of detail from where to stay, what to eat, driving in India, how to prevent yourself from being ripped off and how to spend your limited time in India.

Enjoying India : This is one of my books! I think this book is a must if you are planning a trip to India. Some people visit India but have no idea what to do and what to eat. In this book I have covered the things to do and things to eat when you are there. This book will give traveler knowledge to navigate this vast land and make the best out of India.

India Bites You Somehow – True-Life Tales : This book contains stories about those westerners who have stayed in India. This book is a collection of interesting true life experiences from 40 people from 19 countries who have travelled to India. It’s not a guide book to India as such but it provides a glimpse into the spiritual lives of Indian people. For those who have not set their foot on India and still considering if to visit or not, then this book will connect you to India like no other. These life experiences of various travelers from around the world will surely open your eyes and heart about India.

Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure : when Sarah MacDonald when to India for the first time, she had made her mind up that she hated India. When a beggar at the airport looked at the fate lines on her hand and told her that she would return. However after 12 years she returned with her reporter boyfriend. This is her travelogue about the description of pollution, dirt and chaos of India.

Wanderlust and Lipstick: For Women Traveling to India: This book has been written taking women travelers in mind. This book highlights the culture of India and suggests travel tips such as how to be safe, what to wear, how to deal with poverty, how to keep personal belongings safe, list of Hindi words and advice from women who have traveled abroad.

Other travel guide books for India worthy of note:

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: India India – Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture Fodor’s Essential India: with Delhi, Rajasthan, the Taj Mahal & Mumbai

Remember, travel guide books are for information only. Many of the books go out of date. Not all of them will always be accurate by the time of your visit. In addition, travel is very subjective and they are subject to prejudice. Mark Twain once said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” Some people just make their own minds through the lens of their own prejudice. So why not take a guide book with you to help you out for the pollution, filth, chaos and the inequality that awaits you.

By the way, I have recently published another book on Indian culture . It will be useful for those wanting to learn about the culture and traditions of India. To find more about this book click here .  Let me know if I have missed anything.

You might wish to check out my India travel guide book .  Some of this things covered in this book include how to stay safe and healthy, how to communicate effectively, how to avoid cultural blunders, accommodation needs, how to bargain effectively when shopping, how to get a seat on a fully booked train, coping with India and so on.

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10 best indian travel books to read in 2024.

Do you enjoy travelling? Do you enjoy reading travelogues? Amazing! We created this post to provide you with a detailed explanation of the best travel books available in India. Find the best Indian travel guides by reading this post.

Best Indian Travel Guidebooks to Read Before You Travel to India

Essential india travel guide by mohan kapoor.

Essential India Travel Guide

• Every kind of traveller, including a business traveller and a partygoer.

The Essential Safety and Security Guide to Visiting India

The Essential Safety & Security Guide to Visiting India

• Backpackers, adventurers, female travellers, and solo travellers.

Culture Smart India

India - Culture Smart

• Business travellers, newly shifted residents, and travellers on short-term projects.

Lonely Planet South India & Kerala

South India & Kerala Regional Guide by Lonely Planet

• Family travellers, Solo travellers, and backpackers.

Insight Guides India

• Every type of traveller and photographer.

DK Eyewitness Delhi, Agra & Jaipur

DK Eyewitness Delhi, Agra and Jaipur

• Backpackers, adventurers, & Solo travellers.

Travel Fearlessly in India

Travel Fearlessly In India

• Female group travellers and female solo travellers.

Bradt Travel Guides: Jammu, Kashmir Valley, Ladakh & Zanskar

Bradt Travel Guides - Kashmir Valley, Ladakh, Zanskar

• Adventurers, hikers, trekkers, and backpackers.

Fodor’s Essential India

Fodor’s Essential India

• Family, photographers, adventurers, and backpackers.

Lonely Planet India

• Family, female solo, and business travellers.

FAQs: Best Indian Travel Guidebooks to Read

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14 Best-Seller Books To Read Before Going To India First Time

Books to read before going to india first time.

Before we take off on an excursion, we want to read a couple of books and watch movies about that place. At times its useful, as was the situation in reading Eat Pray Love before we headed out to Bali (we managed to find the famous fortune-teller), in some cases it leads false desires and expectations (let’s not discuss that), however in any case, it at least helps to address that obsession each voyager has in front of an excursion.

There is no better approach to get energized and prepared for an adventure in new country than by immersing yourself in a novel based there. With regards to India there is an extraordinary selection out there to provide for you a little understanding into what’s to come.

Also Read:   India Travel Guide – 25 Ultimate Things to Know Before Going

The Perfect India Packing List – 100 Travel Essentials for India

To help you figure out what to read ahead of your next trip to India , here is the list of 14 books to read before going to India.

1. Freedom at Midnight – Larry Collins, Dominique Lapierre

A chronicled record of the Indian Independence development in 1947 and 1948. It starts with the appointment of Lord Mountbatten of Burma as the last Viceroy and finishes up with the passing of Mahatma Gandhi.

2. Shantaram – Gregory David Roberts

The story of an Australian outlaw who escapes to India and his encounters in the nation from the Mumbai slums, to remote towns and Arthur Road Prison.Almost as thick as the Lonely Planet Guidebook, this novel is the must read for people coming to India.

3. The God of Small Things – Arundhati Roy

The 1998 Man Booker Prize victor is the story of twins, Rahel and Estha, in 1969 and amid times of political agitation in the southern Indian state of Kerala.

4. The White Tiger – Aravind Adiga

The introduction novel by Adiga won the 2008 Man Booker Prize talks about a poor town kid, Balram Halwai, as he voyages to Delhi and onto Bangalore. At the point when winning the prestigious award Adiga remarked his book was an “endeavor to get the voice of the men you meet as you go through India — the voice of the huge underclass.”

5. A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth

Set in a free India Seth’s novel takes after four families and the mission for Lata to discover a “suitable kid” to wed. The story unfolds in Calcutta, Delhi, Kanpur and numerous other Indian urban communities.

6. Karma Cola – Gita Mehta

This book amusingly and critically shows the social impact as India searches to the West for innovation and advanced techniques, and the West plunges upon India looking for insight and illumination.

7. India After Gandhi – Ramachandra Guha

The History of the World’s Largest Democracy begins when the country picked up freedom in 1947.

8. Siddhartha – Herman Hesse

A 1922 novel, by German author Hesse, is around a spiritual voyage of self-revelation. Siddhartha leaves his family and his turbulent voyage to illumination.

9. Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India – William Dalrymple

Dalrymple recounts the story on nine distinctive individuals, from a Buddhist Monk to a jail superintendent in Kerala to a goat-herd in Rajastan, who each one lead an alternate religious life in present day India.

10. Around India in 80 Trains – Monisha Rajesh

English writer Monisha joined with her Indian legacy by bringing a voyage around the nation on trains, extending from the rich to the suburbanite to even a toy train.

11. Never mind the Bullocks: One girl’s 10,000 km adventure around India in the worlds cheapest car – Vanessa Able

Able takes the world’s least expensive car (a Tata Nano) on a 10,000km trip around India, taking direction from a guru and a driving educator.

12. Two States – Chetan Bhagat

What happens when a boy and girl from two different states fall in love and plan to marry?

Of course, their parents don’t agree. To convert their love story into a love marriage, the couple have a tough battle in front of them. For it is easy to fight and rebel, but it is much harder to persuade. Will they make it?

13. Holy Cow by Sarah Mcdonald

A comedy tale of one Aussie expat’s experience of living in India. Sarah moved from Sydney to New Delhi after her boyfriend was posted there for work despite the fact that she had pledged after backpacking there a decade earlier she would never return. She has a considerable measure to learn; from managing the servants to celebrating with Indian glitterati. A lighter look at life in modern Indian times.

14. Eat Pray, Love: Elizabeth Gilbert

One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia is a 2006 journal by American creator Elizabeth Gilbert. The journal narratives the creator’s excursion far and wide after her divorce and what she found amid her ventures. The book stayed on The New York Times Best Seller list for 187 weeks.

So this was the list of our favorite 14 India books to read before your next trip.

Book an escorted tour to India with us, to explore the very best of India experience without any of the hassle of booking it yourself! Alternatively, we can work with you to create your dream tailor-made holiday. Whichever you choose, we can guarantee you an unforgettable trip. Check our Featured Tours to India or stay with us in our boutique Bed & Breakfast Homestay close to Taj Mahal – The Hideout Agra .

India Travel Guide – 25 Smart Things to Know Before Going to India

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7 Top Reasons To Travel – Ultimate Benefits of Travelling

23 Best Books Set in India

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Are you looking for great books set in India to read?

Here are some of the best books that take place in India to take you there!

India is a country that is on my bucket list. I would love to see the pink city of Jaipur, admire the majestic Taj Mahal, hit the beach in Goa, and take in the chaos of a big city like Delhi.

But until I can actually get there, reading books set in India is the next best thing.

Below you’ll find a collection of fiction and nonfiction books, spanning many different genres and time periods. These are the best books set in India, primarily written by Indian authors.

Here are the best India books to add to your reading list.

Grab these fantastic books set in India here:

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Novels and Fiction Set in India

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

This Man Booker Prize-winning novel tells the story of an affluent Indian family whose lives are forever changed by one fateful day in 1969.

It’s a powerful family saga, forbidden love story, and piercing political drama all in one. Told with lush, lyrical writing, this book is hard to forget.

Buy on Amazon | View in Goodreads

A Burning by Megha Majumdar

This book is at once a thriller and a compassionate social commentary. It follows three strangers each seeking something different: a rise to the middle class, obtaining political power, and becoming famous. They find their lives entangled in the wake of a catastrophe in India.

The World We Found by Thrity Umrigar

As university students in the late 1970s Bombay, Armaiti, Laleh, Kavita, and Nishta were inseparable. As life went on, they drifted apart until a tragedy brings them back together.

A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

A sweeping panoramic portrait of a complex, multiethnic society in flux,  A Suitable Boy  tells the story of ordinary people caught up in a web of love, ambition, humor, sadness, prejudice, reconciliation, the most delicate social etiquette, and the most appalling violence.

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

Shantaram is narrated by Lin, an escaped convict with a false passport who flees from a maximum-security prison in Australia and escapes the teeming streets of Bombay, India where he can disappear.

What follows is a rich and vivid portrayal of Bombay’s seedy underworld.

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri

This novel set in India is an engrossing family saga steeped in history: the story of two very different brothers bound by tragedy, a fiercely brilliant woman haunted by her past, a country torn apart by revolution, and a love that endures long past death.

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

The white tiger of this novel is Balram Halwai, a poor Indian villager whose great ambition leads him to the zenith of Indian business culture in Bangalore.

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

Saleem Sinai is born at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, the very moment of India’s independence.

Greeted by fireworks displays, cheering crowds, and Prime Minister Nehru himself, Saleem grows up to learn the ominous consequences of this coincidence.

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

Set in India in 1975, this book examines the hardships of poverty in India and the prejudice and inequities of the caste system with brutal grit and eloquence.

A Passage to India by E. M. Forester

This classic novel examines the clash of culture in British India during the burgeoning independence movement of India in the 1920s. It highlights colonialism at its worst.

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

In a crumbling, isolated house at the foot of Mount Kanchenjunga in the Himalayas, an embittered old judge wants only to retire in peace. But his life is upended when his sixteen-year-old orphaned granddaughter, Sai, arrives on his doorstep and throws his life into chaos.

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

This historical fiction novel is set in India in the 1950s and follows a teenager escaping from an abusive arranged marriage to the pink city of Jaipur.

There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist and confidante to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own, even as her past catches up with her.

Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh

This historical fiction novel is set in the 1800s before the First Opium War and follows a cast of characters traveling by ship from Calcutta to Mauritius.

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

This novel is about a family moving from India to the United States, and the struggles they face as they try to embrace American life even as they pine for home.

The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

In this vibrant retelling of an ancient epic saga, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni gives voice to Panchaali, the fire-born heroine of the Mahabharata, and brings this fabled story to life.

The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal

The British-born Punjabi Shergill sisters were never close and barely got along growing up, and now as adults, have grown even further apart. However, their mother’s dying wish requires them to make a pilgrimage together to the Golden Temple in Amritsar to carry out her final rites.

The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye

This sweeping epic set in 19th-century India begins in the foothills of the towering Himalayas and follows a young Indian-born orphan as he’s raised in England and later returns to India where he falls in love with an Indian princess and struggles with cultural divides.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

This Man Booker Prize-winning novel is a fantastical story about a teenage boy lost at sea after the cargo ship carrying his family from India to the United States capsizes. The son of a zookeeper, the boy is the sole human survivor, along with several animals in transit with him.

The Storyteller’s Secret by Sejal Badani

An epic story of the unrelenting force of love, the power of healing, and the invincible desire to dream.

Nothing prepares Jaya, a New York journalist, for the heartbreak of her third miscarriage and the slow unraveling of her marriage in its wake. Desperate to assuage her deep anguish, she decides to go to India to uncover answers to her family’s past.

Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March

If you are looking for a crime novel set in India, this is a good one to pick up. It’s set in Bombay in 1892 and follows a military captain investigating the murder of two women. While it was ruled a suicide, the captain is not so sure and is determined to get to the bottom of it.

Nonfiction Books About India

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

While only partly set in India, this memoir follows an American woman who goes on a journey of self-discovery around the world after getting divorced.

She travels to Italy , India, and Indonesia. During her months in India (the “pray” portion of the title) she practices intense meditation.

City of Djinns by William Dalrymple

If you are looking for a nonfiction historical book about India, this is a good one to check out. It chronicles Delhi’s history through the ages in an engaging way.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

This nonfiction book offers a raw and heartbreaking glimpse into poverty in modern India. This is a book that will leave a lasting impression on you.

It encapsulates a bewildering age of global change and inequality through the stories of families striving toward a better life in Annawadi, a makeshift settlement in the shadow of luxury hotels near the Mumbai airport.

Best Books Set in India

These are some of the best books set in India.

Have you read any of these books set in India? Do you have any favorite books set in India that I should add to this list? Let me know in the comments below!

Know someone else who wants to read books set in India? Then please do pin this post.

Where next?

Start with this list of the very best  travel adventure books . It includes great reads that will fuel your wanderlust and have you staying up late to finish them.

You should also check out the following series of book lists set in Asia:

Best books set in Japan

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Five must-read Indian travel books to satisfy your wanderlust

Here are six exclusive travel books on india. in fact, these books are a must-have while travelling in this country..

Books that Inspire to Travel & Visit India

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one,” (George R.R. Martin). Today is the World Book Day ; the day of celebrating the joy of reading. Books distribute the world knowledge, teach ideals, inspire creativity, spark innovation, illumine the mind, and lead to revolution. Books give rise to our desire for travel as well. If you are seeking motivation and blessing for traveling, some of the travel books on India can play the Muse for you. Indian Eagle handpicked the five best titles from a huge selection of travel books whose protagonist is India. The titles are….

Travelers’ Tales India

Around India in 80 Trains 

As the title suggests, the book is a tale of adventure travel in trains crisscrossing India by Monisha Rajesh, a British journalist at The Week UK. While reading an article on India’s flourishing domestic aviation, she reminisces her childhood days in India and feels nostalgic. Further inspired by Jules Verne’s “Around the World in 80 Days”, Monisha embarks upon a journey of adventure and discovery across 40,000 km by trains in India . While traveling in local trains, express trains, superfast trains, toy trains and luxury trains, she comes across a wide range of characters; some are funny while some are weird. She experiences many odd and offbeat things from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Infused with overtones of wit and humor, “Around India in 80 Trains” is a patchwork of her kaleidoscopic train journeys.

READ MORE Best Mountain Train Journeys in India

City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi

An interface between a travelogue and a novel, the book by William Dalrymple is a historical as well as mythological journey from the 1984 riots to the times of Mahabharata. As the name suggests, the book is all about Delhi to its deepest core. The lively depiction of the author and his wife’s interactions with the people of Delhi – taxi drivers, street sweepers, gardeners, traffic police, the Sikh landlady, custom officials, hawkers, and others from various walks of life breathes life into the story of the book. The author has dug up some interesting facts from Delhi’s mystic being and mysterious past that many are unaware of. The book “City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi” is like the Time Machine which takes you on a ride from the present to the past through centuries of Delhi’s evolution .

Chai, Chai: Travels in Places Where You Stop But Never Get Off  

The first person narrative of travels from Kanpur to Chennai by Biswanath Ghosh , an Indian journalist and writer, this travel book is a beautiful blend of his experiences, feelings, observations, encounters and insights during the journey. The way he has expressed and penned his stories turns railway stations and platforms into eventful destinations. The book is a collage of the moments including the joy of drinking tea on a platform that he lived during the journey. Trains, stations and platforms are the buildings blocks of the book “Chai, Chai: Travels in Places Where You Stop But Never Get Off”, steeped in with and humor. This travelogue puts you on a ride to those areas of India which commercial tourism has outshined.

All Roads Lead to Ganga 

In keeping with the essence of the beginning quote, we at Indian Eagle would like to say, “A traveler lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never travels lives only one .”

We wish you, Happy Reading! Happy Traveling!

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Best India Travel Guide Books: Planning a trip to India

So you’re planning your first trip to India!

It’s a daunting task.

India is a big country, and there is such diversity with so many things to do and so many places to visit!

With so much free information available online, where to even start planning your trip to India?!

Is it worth it to get a guidebook for India travel?

Planning a trip itinerary for India that’s several weeks long, or maybe even several months long, can turn into what feels like planning about 10 vacations! Not only do you need to make sure you know how to get an Indian tourist visa , but with each new city, there’s that much more to research!

For some people it might seem a bit lame to use a guidebook as a bible for travel to any destination. But when you’re short on time or you just don’t want to plan 10 vacations, it can be very helpful in making sure you visit the must-see places of any given region or city. (It just might be the cure for FOMO. ;))

And you can use a guidebook as just that — a guide. It can give you a very good start to planning your trip when you just have no idea where to start… or you’re looking to sort through the abundance of free travel guides online!

When you are short on time, flying can be a cost-effective way to travel long distances around India because of the budget airlines that are available in India.

Now, here’s what’s on this page of travel guidebooks to take a look at for planning your trip to India!

• Get this guidebook with PDF  so you can do some really specific India planning like where to stay and where to eat so you don’t get sick
• Get this guidebook so you can make a general plan based of your India itinerary of places to visit and what food to eat based on pretty pictures

So, which travel guidebooks might you use for planning a trip to India?

One of the best india guidebooks for planning each day’s itinerary, finding the best places to stay, and eating at the best restaurants.

Let’s start with the ultimate guidebook for travel to India .

So, there’s a good chance that you’ve heard of Lonely Planet travel guidebooks.

How is the Lonely Planet travel guide for India?

Well, once you get used to it, India is a country that can be easy to travel around because of the ease of being able to catch buses without advanced booking and the ease of being able to show up in a city without a guesthouse or hotel booking. (That said, sometimes advanced booking can be helpful!)

What makes that travel in India even easier?!

Lonely Planet India!

These are the top reasons to get Lonely Planet India:

• Getting sick is a common occurrence among foreigners. The restaurant recommendations in the book can minimize your chance of getting food poisoning! And in case you do get sick, here’s how to treat traveler’s diarrhea naturally .
• Getting ripped off is also a common occurrence among foreigners. The book will give a price range for guesthouses, activities, and rickshaw rides in a given city. This will make you feel more confident knowing that you’re not paying way too much!
• Sometimes it’s easier to just show up in a city and look for accommodation. The book can give you the best places to stay so you are not aimlessly wandering around. In the case that you want to pre-book your hotel, it can give you recommendations!
• And of course the book has a list of the best places to visit in any given city! It will give you ideas on nearby famous destinations. It also lists the best way to get to your next destination, as well as the best way to get around any city.

You can read some of the reviews here for using Lonely Planet India when traveling.

For easy planning when you’re on the road in India, here are some guidebooks to take a look at:

• Lonely Planet: India (best of the whole country)
• Lonely Planet: Rajasthan, Delhi, and Agra (includes best of the famous Golden Triangle)
• Lonely Planet: South India and Kerala
• Lonely Planet: Goa and Mumbai

These include the option of a pdf travel guide or e-book too, so be sure to have a look!

India is a big country, which means there’s a ton to cover. The Lonely Planet India book is over 1,000 pages which means it’s pretty bulky. Having the travel guide in pdf form on your phone can cut back on the weight of your backpack! It can also be helpful in finding a nearby place to eat when you’re out and about on an excursion.

Now, if you do still have a few weeks or months before your trip to India…

One of the best India guidebooks for figuring out the pretty places you want to visit

One of the negatives about Lonely Planet India is that aside from the city maps and information tables of buses and trains, it’s pretty much all text.

This text is incredibly helpful when trying to figure out where to stay and places to eat, in particular when you’re not planning too far ahead.

But if you’re wanting to figure out what the name of that temple you saw on Pinterest  😉 is called, Lonely Planet India won’t be able to really help you with that.

So it can be best used in conjunction with another resource.

Or once again, in order to have the best of India all in one place so you don’t have to sift through so much information, there’s an India guidebook for that! 😉

For planning your trip to India using pictures, take a look at:

• DK Eyewitness Travel: India
• DK Eyewitness Travel: Delhi, Jaipur, Agra

DK Eyewitness India isn’t necessarily the best for travel tips when it comes to things like specific ways of how to get around. But at the back of the book, there is a big list of recommendations for where to stay and places to eat, arranged mostly by state. Still, for practical travel tips when you’re on the road, Lonely Planet India is pretty good.

But DK Eyewitness India will give you the pictures, along with the descriptions of what makes each place significant. So instead of just listing a foreign name of a place that you are sure to forget, it gives you that image that your memory will likely better retain.

Or if you won’t be doing too much pre-planning of places to visit before your trip to India, you may like all the colorful images to help you decide where you want to go once you arrive in any given city. The street-by-street city maps also include pictures. This makes it so that when you look at the map, you will see what the market or palace looks like at a specific location.

Using DK Eyewitness India as your guidebook when traveling in India might turn you into a foodie! There are food sections that list the local dishes and specialties of a region. These come with pretty pictures of the food, and you just might end up wanting to try all the food when in India! 😉 So if you’re looking forward to trying the diversity of food options available in India, you might like this book too.

The tagline for DK Eyewitness is “the guides that show you what others only tell you”… and this is what the guidebook does through its abundance of colorful pictures!

Now, is it really necessary to take 2 guidebooks with you to India?!

That does sound like overkill.

Plus, that’ll add weight to your backpack and take up more space than you probably want it to.

In which case, you might want to lean towards  Lonely Planet India . It really can be used as a bible for your trip to India. And showing up in a city and knowing where to stay and safe places to eat (so you don’t get sick!) can be superbly helpful.

Be sure to have a look at what might be able to speed up your recovery if you do get sick with traveler’s diarrhea.

Well, what if you want your India guidebooks to have the pictures of the best places to visit and  a bunch of useful travel tips when traveling around India?!

If you can commit to doing at least a little bit of planning ahead of time, DK Eyewitness India really can help you see India in pictures in a simple way.

Lonely Planet India can be even more helpful on the road when you’re in India, so consider using DK Eyewitness India for trip planning when you’re still at home. Then leave DK Eyewitness behind instead of taking it with you to India so you don’t have to lug around that extra weight.

And, if you’re not planning on taking it to India with you, you may even see if the guidebook is available at your local library.

One of the problems with borrowing travel books at libraries is that the only version that the library has might be one from 10 years ago. But with DK Eyewitness India, if your primary purpose is to look at the pictures, it generally shouldn’t really be a problem even if the book is a little outdated.

With Lonely Planet India on the other hand, if you’re using it mainly for hotel recommendations and restaurant recommendations, it’s probably best to get a book that’s been updated in the past couple of years. Here are the most recent versions.

What if you just really don’t want to make room in your backpack for a guidebook?! 😉

And then of course, if you don’t want to carry any extra weight in the form of an India guidebook, you always have the trusty Lonely Planet India PDF !

But do make sure you make room for that international first aid kit for India !

HAPPY INDIA TRIP PLANNING!

Best shoes for your active vacation, swimwear for snorkeling and beach.

• Chick-Lit Books
• Drama Books
• Fantasy Books
• Hindi Novels
• Historical Fiction Books
• Horror Books
• Humour Books
• Mythological Fiction Books
• Romance Novels
• Sci-Fi Books
• Short Story Books
• Thriller & Mystery Books
• Biography & Memoir
• Business and Economics
• History Books
• Religion & Mythology
• Self-help Books

Travel and Places

• Conversations

Are you looking for some good Indian Travel books to read? bookGeeks has one of the largest collection of reviews of Indian Travel Books and books on places written by travel enthusiasts like Gaurav Punj, Sabir Hussain, Mayank Austen Soofi and Kishalay Bhattacharjee. These books are about the experiences of the writer while travelling to different places, trying different cuisines and exploring different cultures.

All our reviews are professionally done and the methodology we follow is logical but simple. We divide our book reviews into 5 categories:

1. Subject: This is the main idea behind the book. 2. Relevance: Is the book relevant to the current generation of readers? 3. Writing Style: The readability and language flow. 4. Research: The research done by the author on the present subject. 5. The Entertainment Quotient: Overall enjoyability of the book.

The Roar of Ranthambore | Batti Lal Gurjar | Book Review

Batti Lal Gurjar’s ‘The Roar of Ranthambore’ is a book that shows us the magnificent world of Ranthambore National Park and its majestic tigers through the keenly observing eyes of Batti Lal Gurjar; a man who has been a naturalist at the park for almost 20 years.

All Roads Lead to Ganga | Ruskin Bond | Book Review

In “All Roads Lead to Ganga,” Ruskin Bond pays homage to Ganga and the Himalayas, celebrating their majesty and significance. From the tranquil waters of Mandakini to the towering peaks of Tungnath, the book reverently explores the diverse landscapes of Garhwal, capturing Bond’s profound connection to this cherished land and its sacred rivers.

A Few Thousand Kilometres of Happiness | Anand Krishna Panicker | Book Review

A Few Thousand Kilometres of Happiness narrates the captivating tale of Anand Krishnan and Varun Kumar, two motorcycle tourers who embark on an extraordinary journey spanning several thousand kilometers. This book intricately captures their expedition, chronicling the various incidents, conflicts, nightlife encounters, challenges, and accidents they encounter along the way.

Tongue of the Slip | CP Belliappa | Book Review

In this book, Belliappa delves into snippets from his everyday life, some ordinary some extraordinary, and presents to us a life that is not just different from us in terms of history but also geography. Unlike most of us city-dwellers, Belliappa is a resident of a verdant green coffee estate of Coorg, and thus this geographical setting plays an important part in the setting the vibe and flavour of the book.

The Hour of the Leopard | Jim Corbett | Book Review

Approximately 200 pages in length, the book consists of 3 pieces of Jim’s writings about leopards. These three pieces include – My First Leopard which is taken from his book Jungle Lore (published 1953), The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag which was published as a book in 1947, and The Panar Man-Eater which was included in the book The Temple Tiger and More Man-eaters of Kumaon (published 1954).

Ghats of Varanasi: Varanasi Walks 1 | Dr. Rajnish Mishra | Book Review

Rows after rows of stone steps rising from the mighty Ganga and rows after rows of stone falling into the same – this is the quintessential picture of the city that comes to mind when one thinks about Varanasi. This is also what the author quite aptly refers to as the ghatscape. This ghatscape covered in the book has been divided into seven sections, with each section dedicated to its most famous ghat – Assi, Kedar, Dashashwamedh, Manikarnika, Panchganga, Trilochan, and Adikeshav.

A Woman’s Journey Through India | Madhu Veena | Book Review

A Woman’s Journey Through India is written from the point of view of a person who doesn’t live in India. Expect a book that chronicles the author’s adventures as a solo female traveller in India. Expect a book that also acts as a guide to such travelling in India.

Haunted India | Chandan Sinha | Book Review

Haunted India talks about real places, buildings, and incidents of horror from all over India. In addition to this, the book also covers many mysterious places in India. Expect a book that has bite-size chapters which are easy and quick to read. Expect a short read of just under 100 pages.

Travel Diaries: The Pilgrimage | Shivani | Book Review

Travel Diaries: The Pilgrimage is a short travel journal that documents the author’s many journeys to the majestic and inspiring temples and mountains of the Kumaon and Garhwal Himalayas. Written informally, the book is an effortless read.

The Bera Bond | Sundeep Bhutoria | Book Review

The Bera Bond is a magnificent tribute to the small rural community of Bera in the Pali district of Rajasthan, located at about a distance of 140 km from Udaipur. Here, near the pristine waters of the Jawai river, 55 leopards peacefully coexist with their human neighbors.

Mehman: Thoughts From My Travel Buddies | Anuj Tikku | Book Review

“Mehman” is a 4-in-1 travel memoir collection that brings to us the travel journey and experiences of 4 different travellers. These include 3 contributors from across India who contribute to author Anuj Tikku’s blog Tikku’sTravelthon. It also includes travel writings from the author’s pen.

Tiffin: Memories and Recipes of Indian Vegetarian Food | Rukmini Srinivas | Book Review

Tiffin: Memories and Recipes of Indian Vegetarian Food is part memoir (anecdotal) and part recipes; where the memories section far exceeds the recipes one. Expect a book that is a little lengthy and heavy on anecdotes. Expect a book that familiarizes one with the delights of South Indian vegetarian ‘tiffin’.

From Russia With Love | Anuj Tikku | Book Review

Expect a book that is a very short read of just over fifty pages. Expect a book that takes you to the devilishly cold country of Russia along with some other eastern European countries. Expect a book that doles out a decent dose of practical advice and travel tips for those venturing into the cold sub-continent.

Out of Africa: In Zulu Land | Anuj Tikku | Book Review

Expect a book that talks as much about the wildlife and jungles of Africa as it does about its people, its languages and its distinct culture. Expect a book that garnishes the author’s writing with some interesting looking photographs.

Shankara: The Mansarovar Odyssey | Anuj Tikku | Book Review

While reading Shankara: The Mansarovar Odyssey, expect a book that takes you to the beautiful world of Kailash-Mansarovar yatra and takes you through the entire experience in just 50 pages. Expect a book that also has a lot of pictures to complement the author’s personal experiences of the journey.

Yeh! Hai India | Anuj Tikku | Book Review

Yeh! hai India does have certain things going for it which makes it a decent one time read. A candid conversational style of narration complemented with some very unique travel experiences is what makes this book click

Antarctica Diaries | Anuj Tikku | Book Review

Expect a book that is a travelogue about the world’s most remote continent – Antarctica. Expect a book that gives you an idea of what Antarctica is really like? how to get there? how much does it really cost? how perilous the journey is? what kind of precautions does one need to take? etc.

The Kumbh Travelogue | Anuj Tikku | Book Review

The Kumbh Travelogue is basically a book that talks about the author’s travels to the holy celebrations of the Ardh Kumbh. The book takes us to the holy city of Prayagraj and lets us experience its distinct flavour and vibe through the author’s own experiences.

Reader's Digest

15 Travel Books That Will Inspire You to See the World

Posted: September 5, 2023 | Last updated: September 5, 2023

The travel books that will transport you to a happy place

In a perfect world, we'd all get to take an epic vacation whenever we felt like it. But in the real world of hectic jobs, nonstop child care and other adulting responsibilities, jet-setting falls lower on the priority list. Sigh. This is exactly why travel books are so magical.

Soaking in the sights and smells of a new locale is dreamy, and travel books help us live vicariously through someone else's experience. From armchair-adventure memoirs to escapist beach reads , great travel books temporarily transport us whenever we can squeeze in time for another chapter—on the commuter bus, over a lunch break or in the bathtub.

Wondering what the best books are to grab if you're craving adventure or tropical vibes? We've rounded up 15 of the best travel books to suit this exact purpose. They will whisk you away, as will titles from new and favorite authors .

Psst ... once you're through with these, satisfy your Emily Henry fix, get tips for reading all the Elin Hilderbrand books in order and find out where to find books like The Summer I Turned Pretty .

Join the free Reader’s Digest Book Club for great reads, monthly discussions, author Q&As and a community of book lovers.

When you pine for an outdoorsy vacation

The unlikely thru-hiker by derick lugo.

Setting: The Appalachian Trail (from Georgia to Maine)

It doesn't require a passport or a plane ticket, but the Appalachian Trail is a big change of scenery. It's also not for the faint of heart. In Derick Lugo's 2019 debut memoir , The Unlikely Thru-Hiker , he describes his long walk in the woods in vivid detail—and with heartwarming humor.

Before his foray into one of America's great wildernesses, Lugo had never gone camping. He had never really hiked either. And that's what makes this travel book such a perfect, immersive escape. Discover the iconic trek through a beginner's eyes, and don't be surprised if his tale inspires you to hit your own trails this summer.

If you want to live in France

A year in provence by peter mayle.

Setting: Provence, Southern France

Perhaps one of the most beloved travel books since its 2010 debut, A Year in Provence delivers what it promises: a welcome escape to sunny, lavender-filled, Mediterranean-hugging southern France. There, steeped in the daily wonders of Provençal life, author Peter Mayle describes his experience of moving into a 200-year-old French farmhouse in a small village. This witty, easy summer read is a book that even Julia Child would have approved of.

Looking for your next great book? Read four of today’s bestselling novels in the time it takes to read one with  Reader’s Digest Select Editions . And be sure to follow the  Select Editions page on Facebook !

If you're dying to visit India

The widows of malabar hill by sujata massey.

Setting: Bombay, India

Welcome to India! It doesn't take a memoir or travelogue to make an immersive travel book. Sujata Massey's imaginative mystery series set in 1920s Bombay will make you feel like you've stepped back in time to witness India in the final chapters of the British Raj. In the first installment, The Widows of Malabar Hill (2018), female lawyer extraordinaire Perveen Mistry fights back against crimes against women. Massey's perspective gives readers behind-the-scenes glimpses of daily life for women in both Muslim and Hindu households.

When you're wistful for a Roman holiday

Four seasons in rome by anthony doerr.

Setting: Rome, Italy

Anthony Doerr's 2007 Four Seasons in Rome will whisk you away to Italy's ancient capital in an instant. During his sojourn at a writing studio in Rome, Doerr drank deeply from Rome's culture, food and daily life. He plumbed the depths of the city's history and spent days traipsing up and down its countless alleys and streets. He visited temples and attended a vigil for Pope John Paul II. He befriended his neighborhood storekeepers and bakers. He immersed himself this way for an entire year, then wrote one of the best books all about it so you could experience it too.

If you want to hike the Himalayas

High by erika fatland.

Setting: The Himalayas (Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal and China)

Not everyone is up for remote lands with peaks and plateaus at dizzyingly high altitudes. Thanks to Erika Fatland's High , your mind can go where your body doesn't. Her well-researched and recorded travels through the Himalayas unveil a patchwork of subcultures, languages and religions. This travel book is a virtual getaway to cloud-piercing towns shrouded in thin, cold air and intriguing encounters with Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and shamanic faiths—all part and parcel of the lives of the Himalayan highlanders.

When an Aussie adventure isn't in the budget

In a sunburned country by bill bryson.

Setting: Australia

Bill Bryson has written stacks of nonfiction books , but his droll, sharply observant travelogue through Australia is perhaps his most vivid. The so-called Land of Oz roars to life in Bryson's descriptions of traveling through its wild array of landscapes—bustling urban centers, scalding-hot mining country, scorching barren desert and wild, roiling coastlines. In a Sunburned Country (2000) is chock-full of exciting tidbits about the history and culture Down Under, as well as sidesplitting and terrifying encounters with locals and wildlife. Sure, he wrote a legendary Appalachian Trail memoir too— A Walk in the Woods —but we've already got that destination covered for you.

If you dream of exploring Egypt

Palace walk by naguib mahfouz.

Setting: Cairo, Egypt

Nobel Prize–winning author Naguib Mahfouz's 2011 start to his Cairo Trilogy, Palace Walk , places readers in the middle of 20th-century Egypt. They're swept into the drama of a middle-class family with struggles and tensions that mirror the greater turbulence of Egypt under the thumb of British rule. The father, al-Sayyid Ahmad Abd al-Jawad, rules his house with an iron fist. A vivid exploration of complex Cairo, plus reflections on how each family member deals with the controlling household and government, makes this a moving historical fiction work that is also one of the great travel books about northern Africa.

When you're craving an Italian escape

One italian summer by rebecca serle.

Setting: Positano, Italy

It's no secret that Rebecca Serle's 2022 captivating read, One Italian Summer , is dripping with European charm. Pair this book with an Aperol spritz or Italian soda for full effect. Part mother-daughter book , part fantasy book (with a bit of romance sprinkled in), the story takes place at the Hotel Poseidon, perched on Italy's Amalfi coast. A woman grieving her mother arrives at the door with a head full of questions. Is she happy? Does she even love her husband? What's the meaning of life? As the summer unfolds, the magic of Positano—and knowledge about her mother's past life—transforms her forever.

If you long for a peaceful Japanese getaway

Autumn light by pico iyer.

Setting: Japan

At first glance, a book called Autumn Light doesn't seem like the right fit for any summertime reading you may have planned. But the season you read this book doesn't matter a bit. There's so much going on below the surface, especially if you're craving the tranquility of a trip to Japan. Pico Iyer's 2019 memoir describes his return to Japan to attend to and process a loved one's death. He steps back into ordinary Japanese life and gently, graciously invites his readers along. You'll find yourself reflecting on age, life, death and the poetry of daily rituals. It's a quiet book but also a beautiful, transportive mental journey to somewhere far away.

When you can't decide where you want to go

Shape of a boy by kate wickers.

Setting: The world (including Mexico, Jordan, Borneo, Sri Lanka and more)

Sometimes a travel book, like travel itself, is more about the journey than the destination. That's the case with Shape of a Boy , the 2022 memoir by British travel journalist Kate Wickers. Reading this book is like jet-setting with a  trusted friend —with her three boys and husband along for good measure. Each chapter starts off with a new location on their round-the-world trip, describing their experiences and the lessons they learned there. It's a delightful smattering of stories sure to spark wanderlust for just about anywhere in the world.

If you want to spend summer in the Loire Valley

A perfect vintage by chelsea fagan.

Setting: Loire Valley, central France

Chelsea Fagan's first novel, A Perfect Vintage , debuts on June 6, just days before the summer solstice. Fagan lives in France, which gives her a leg up on delectable descriptions of French food and the sun-soaked land of France's Loire Valley. The perfect setting aside, the book details a summer in the life of Lea Mortimer, a successful 30-something woman who's too busy and independent to worry about relationships or starting a family.

She's been summoned by work to France to help transform an old French estate into a perfect boutique hotel. All's well until Lea begins to develop feelings for the considerably younger son of her new boss. It's a deliciously self-aware, beautifully set story of a modern woman struggling to have it all: money, deep friendships ... and maybe even love.

If you want a whirlwind trip around the globe

Wanderlust by elle everhart.

Setting: All over the world

Picture this: You're stuck in the office for the summer, plotting your next move up the corporate ladder. On a whim, you call in to the local radio station when they're running a once-in-a-lifetime travel sweepstake. And you win. The trouble is that you're sent packing with someone else, and he happens to be a guy you met at a bar just once. That's how Dylan and her almost-fling, Jack, travel together through Marrakech, Tokyo, Sydney and more. Elle Everhart's July 2023 debut novel, Wanderlust , is a perfect summer read—plenty of sexy enemies-to-lovers tension and enough immersive travel descriptions to feel like you got a whirlwind vacation too.

If you'd love a rugged adventure across Asia

Lands of lost borders: a journey on the silk road by kate harris.

Setting: Turkey to China, with plenty of stops in between

Modern explorer Kate Harris is a pro at wrangling remote, edge-of-the-world destinations into riveting armchair travel reading. In other words, this travel book might inspire and awe you even if it doesn't compel you to plan your own harebrained 10-month bike trip across Asia. The lush descriptions of her natural surroundings and sometimes bemusing, sometimes touching encounters with ordinary people along the way make Lands of Lost Borders come to life in full force.

If you're having Caribbean dreams

Where the rhythm takes you by sarah dass.

Setting: Tobago

Island life doesn't get much more romantic than this. Sarah Dass's 2021 novel is technically a young adult book , but Where the Rhythm Takes You offers tropical escapism for readers of all ages. Reyna's family owns Plumeria, a beachside resort in Tobago. It's a perfect paradise for guests, but ever since her best friend and first love left the island, Reyna dreams of escaping into the real world too. Only now that she's poised for departure, her flame is back—this time as a Grammy-nominated superstar. What will he think of his sheltered island friend now? Will his presence be enough to make her stay a little longer? Crack this spine on a hot summer day to fully soak up the distinct island vibes.

When a Greek vacation is all you think about

The second chance hotel by sierra godfrey.

Setting: The fictional Greek island of Astori

After getting fired from her corporate job and skipping out on her best friend's wedding, Amelia Lang needs a major life do-over. She's well aware of it, but she didn't expect it to come in the form of inheriting a hotel on a small Greek island. She also didn't expect to be physically attracted to one of the guests. The Second Chance Hotel (September 2023) is a lighthearted romance at heart. It's also a great travel book, thanks to its incredible descriptions of Greek island living, from the sun-ripened olives to the delicious gulps of sea air.

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Southeast Asia Travel Guide

Last Updated: November 27, 2023

Backpackers have been traveling through Southeast Asia since the late 1960s and early 1970s, leaving a well-worn trail around the region.

Starting in beautiful Thailand, the trail makes its way to up-and-coming Laos, through Vietnam, and to the temples of Angkor Wat. It then winds back into Thailand, where people head south to party in the Thai islands before moving down to Malaysia and Singapore.

There are a few variations to the trail, but this is what it mostly covers.

I’ve been visiting this region since 2004 and spent years living in Thailand . I love backpacking Southeast Asia and have written extensively about it as I know it like the back of my hand.

It’s an especially great region for new travelers because it’s easy to travel around, it’s safe, and there are lots of other travelers you can meet. But it’s also perfect for veteran travelers too as there are tons of off-the-beaten-path destinations that the standard backpacker trail doesn’t cover.

In short, Southeast Asia has something for every traveler — and every budget.

This Southeast Asia travel guide will help you travel the region like a pro, ensuring you save money and make the most of your time in this fun, gorgeous, and lively corner of the world.

Table of Contents

• Things to See and Do
• Typical Costs
• Suggested Budget
• Money-Saving Tips
• Where to Stay
• How to Get Around
• How to Stay Safe
• Best Places to Book Your Trip
• Related Blogs on Southeast Asia

Click Here for Country Guides

Top 5 things to see and do in southeast asia.

1. Admire Angkor Wat

One of the greatest human creations in history, the Angkor Wat temple complex is best explored over the course of a few days. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site created by the Khmer Empire and absolutely enormous. Temples to visit include Angkor Wat, Bayon Temple which has 216 gigantic stone face carvings, and Ta Prohm. I spent three days here and that simply wasn’t enough. A one-day pass is $37 USD, while a 1-week pass is $72 USD. If you’re here for multiple days, be sure to hire a driver and see some of the more out of the way ruins away from the main temple complex (and the crowds).

2. Explore Bangkok

Bangkok is the hub of travel activity in Southeast Asia. You can get anywhere you want from here. Though I hated it at first, the more I’ve spent time here the more I love it. Bangkok is like an onion whose many layers need to be peeled back. Some things not to miss include the spectacular Bangkok Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Chatuchak Market and Asiatique, and a canal trip on the Chao Phraya River. This is a city for foodies and wild nightlife.

3. Relax on some tropical islands

No visit to Southeast Asia would be complete without a visit to at least one of the thousands of tropical islands in the region. My top five include the Perhentian Islands (Malaysia), Rabbit Island (Cambodia), Ko Lanta (Thailand), and Boracay (Philippines). Lombok Island (Indonesia) has a chill vibe with unspoiled, perfect “desert island” beaches. There’s so many islands to visit. Be sure to add at least one to your trip. The country guides will have more information for you.

4. See Ha Long Bay

Sailing trips to this island-filled bay with stunning emerald waters, limestone formations, and marine life give you an appreciation for the natural beauty in Vietnam. Tours from Hanoi start at around $110 USD for two-day trips and increase from there. I love the colorful grottoes, hanging stalactites, and stalagmites of Surprise Cave (Sung Sot), Fairy Cave (Tien Ong), and Heaven Palace (Thien Cung). Make sure you go with a reputable company though as some of the cheaper boats are less than ideal. If you’d rather just visit for one day, day trips from Hanoi cost $55 USD.

5. Wander Kuala Lumpur

Other things to see and do in southeast asia, 1. go jungle trekking.

This region of the world is covered in amazing jungles with diverse wildlife, plentiful camping opportunities, and cool waterfalls. The best jungle treks are found in northern Thailand, Western Laos, and Malaysian Borneo (the latter are also the hardest and most intense). Some of my favorites include Danum Valley (Borneo) for its incredible wildlife; Ratanakiri (Cambodia) for its pristine wilderness and thousand-year-old trees; and Pu Luong Nature Reserve (Vietnam). Costs vary but jungle trekking generally costs $30-50 USD per day.

2. Attend the Full Moon Party

The biggest one-night party in the world welcomes up to 30,000 people with a party that stretches until dawn. Cover yourself in glow paint, grab a bucket of booze, and dance the night away with new friends on the island of Ko Phangan in Thailand. As the name would suggest, the party is on the night of the full moon. If you miss it, there’s always the half-moon party, quarter-moon party, and black-moon party. Really, every night is a party on Ko Phangan . Just avoid the flaming jump rope that occurs — I’ve seen people get burned badly!

3. Learn to dive

There are many great dive sites around the region for those interested in underwater exploration. You can learn to dive here at a fraction of what it would cost back home too. Some of the best places are Ko Tao (Thailand), Sipadan (Malaysia), as well as Gili Islands (Indonesia) and Coron, Palawan (The Philippines). A typical diving course is completed in three days. A PADI course typically runs $275 USD in Thailand, including three nights’ accommodation, though at smaller schools you can often negotiate down to $250 USD. Day trips for certified divers start at $165 USD. For information on Ko Tao, check out this blog post .

4. Eat street food in Singapore

Singapore is a foodie’s heaven. Try the hawker stalls of Singapore as well as Little India and Chinatown for some of the best and cheapest food in Asia. If you’re looking for a nice place to sit down and eat, eat at Singapore’s famed restaurants during lunch when restaurants offer discounts, making them a great deal. You’ll also find the most affordable Michelin-starred restaurants here (Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice and Hawker Chan), offering world-class meals for just a couple of bucks!

5. Overload on temples

You can’t turn a corner without seeing a Buddhist temple in this part of the world. You’ll get temple overload at some point but visit as many as you can as each is unique to the country and region of the temple. There are so many places with high concentrations of ornate and beautiful temples. Check out Chiang Mai’s Wat Doi Suthep Temple and hike up the 300 steps to the golden Chedi that’s 600 years old!; Bagan’s Shwesandaw Pagoda from the 11th century with its stunning golden dome; Angkor Wat’s Ta Prohm is covered in iconic vines and enveloped in ancient jungle roots; Hue’s colorful Thien Mu Pagoda is perched atop a lush green embankment; Hoi An’s Quan Cong Temple with incredible Chinese architecture with hand-carved beauty and skill, and Luang Prabang’s Vat Xieng Thong with its golden, canopied roof. Most are free to enter, however, dress codes are enforced (you need to have your shoulders and legs covered).

6. Dive Sipadan

Located off Malaysian Borneo, Sipadan is one of the best dive sites in the world. If you have your dive certificate, make sure you venture out here. I absolutely love this area because it’s teeming with live turtles, diverse cave systems, sharks, dolphins, colorful coral, bright fish, and everything in between. Not a lot of people make it to this part of Malaysia, but it’s worth it to go the extra mile and make your way off the tourist trail a bit. Don’t miss Barracuda Point and The Drop-Off. Keep in mind that only 176 permits to dive at the island are issued each day, costing 140 MYR per person. The resorts on the neighboring islands each get a specific number of permits per day and require divers to stay with them for a few days. So you’ll need to stay at those resorts and dive into the surrounding areas before they can get you a Sipadan permit.

7. Fall in love with Bali

Bali is the most popular destination in Indonesia, and its famous Kuta beach is known for its wild parties and surfing ( though I think it’s overrated ). However, there is much more to Bali than just wild nights and sun-soaked days. If you’re a thrill seeker, hike up to the top of Mount Batur, an active volcano, for a breathtaking sunrise. Paragliding and white water rafting are also super popular here, as is surfing (it’s an affordable place to learn if you’ve never done it). There are also lots of hot springs to enjoy, the Ubud Monkey Forest (a popular temple and nature reserve home to hundreds of monkeys), and numerous places to scuba dive, including the Liberty wreck and Manta Point.

8. Take in Ho Chi Minh City

Frantic, chaotic, and crazy, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam is the embodiment of the controlled chaos that rules Southeast Asia. You can’t quite figure out how this teeming mass of people and cars work together, but it does. Highlights here include touring the tunnels used by the Viet Cong in the 1960s, taking in the view from the Saigon Skydeck, eating your way through the street food scene, and seeing the city’s numerous temples.

9. Admire the sunrise over an Indonesian Volcano

One of the most popular tourist attractions on Java is Mount Bromo and its National Park. Don’t miss out on getting a photo of the smoldering Bromo volcano as it lies surrounded by the almost lunar landscape of the Sea of Sand. Get up early to catch one of the most memorable sunrises of your life. If you’re there in mid-August, you’ll be just in time to see Upacara Kasada, the traditional Hindu ritual of the Tenggerese, a Javanese tribe of the region.

10. Hike in Khao Sok National Park

Located in southern Thailand, Khao Sok National Park is constantly rated as one of the best parks in Thailand, with incredible trekking, camping, limestone karsts, cooling rivers, and a glistening lake. Visit for semi-challenging hikes, tons of wildlife, walking paths, and breathtaking sunsets. Park entrance costs around $6 USD while full-day guided tours are $95 USD. I highly recommend spending at least one night here to get the full experience.

11. Visit Kampot

Most people come to Kampot to enjoy the scenic riverside views, as well as the rolling hills that surround the city. Since you can explore easily enough on foot or by bicycle, Kampot is a great place to slow down and relax. There’s not much to do here but have lazy days by the river, chill, and eat (don’t miss the famous Rusty Keyhole for BBQ!). Don’t miss the pepper farms, as this region of Cambodia is filled with pepper farms where you can learn about the history of the spice, see how it is grown, and pick up what is considered some of the finest pepper in the world. Tours are usually free.

12. Take a cooking class

Food from this region is as varied as the countries themselves and learning how to cook a few dishes is a great souvenir of your time here. Even if you don’t plan to cook back home, you can still spend a day making and eating scrumptious food. Most big cities have cooking schools offering classes of 2-6 hours, often including a trip to the local market beforehand to select ingredients. I absolutely love cooking classes and urge you to take one at least once. They are a fun experience!

13. Take a food tour

If you’d rather eat instead of cook, taking a food tour is a fun way to gain insight into the region’s amazing noodle dishes, fresh seafood, sweets, and street food while learning about the history and culture behind the cuisine. Most major cities in Southeast Asia offer food tours. These include tours around local markets, street stalls, and tours to locally-owned restaurants and cafes where you can sample the local cuisine and connect with a local chef. If you’re nervous about street food, this is a great way to try some in a controlled setting. Tours usually last 2-4 hours and include multiple stops and several different dishes, with prices costing $40-75 USD per person.

14. Visit an elephant sanctuary

While riding an elephant is on many a Southeast Asia bucket list, once you know how much the animals suffer from abuse in order to provide these rides, you might think twice about taking one. An even better way to interact with elephants is to volunteer at or visit the Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai in Thailand. It’s a phenomenal place, allowing you to give back to the community and these magnificent animals all at once. After coming here, you will understand why you should NEVER ride an elephant. A one-day visit costs $70 USD.

15. See The Killing Fields

A visit to Choeung Ek, also known as the Killing Fields, may not be the most cheerful way to spend an afternoon, but it makes for an educational and memorable experience. Over 3 million people were killed by Pol Pot’s regime, including countless women and children. I recommend getting a guide so you can really understand what you’re seeing as you explore the area. Also, this horrific tragedy took place less than 50 years ago and is still very present so please be respectful as a visitor.  The site is located 10 miles from Phnom Penh. Half-day guided tours start at $66 USD.

16. Swim with Whale Sharks in Donsol

If you’re in the Philippines, check out the Donsol Whale Shark Interactive Ecosystem Project because there are not many experiences quite as adrenaline-inducing as swimming with a whale shark for the first time in crystal waters. These incredible creatures are around 45 feet (14 meters) long and yet incredibly gentle and curious. I loved floating at the surface being able to look below and see them slowly swim below me. Get some people together and rent a boat for a half day, explore the area, and go ‘shark-seeing’ for a good cause.  

  For a ton more information, visit my country specific travel guides for more detailed information on each place:

• Cambodia Travel Guide
• Indonesia Travel Guide
• Laos Travel Guide
• Malaysia Travel Guide
• Singapore Travel Guide
• Thailand Travel Guide
• Vietnam Travel Guide

Southeast Asia Travel Costs

Accommodation – Accommodation in Southeast Asia is really cheap, making it the perfect place to travel if you are on a budget. Hostels are plentiful, as are budget guesthouses and hotels. It’s also very cheap to splash out here if you’re in need of some luxury.

Generally, you can find hostel dorm rooms for as little as $6-8 USD in Cambodia and $3-6 USD in Laos. In Thailand, 4-6-bed dorm rooms are $8-12 USD, while in Vietnam you can expect to pay $5-7 USD. In Indonesia, prices range between $5-10 USD for a 4-6-bed dorm room. Expect to pay at least $15-20 per night for a private room with air conditioning. Free Wi-Fi is standard in most hostels, free breakfast is common, and many hostels even have pools. In more remote areas, hot water isn’t common so make sure to check in advance if that’s an issue for you.

Simple guesthouses or bungalows throughout Southeast Asia generally cost $12-20 USD per night for a basic room with a fan (sometimes air conditioning) and hot water. If you want something nicer that includes a more comfortable bed and a TV, expect to pay $25-35 USD per night.

For backpackers, budgeting around $10 USD per night for accommodation is pretty safe no matter where you go in Southeast Asia. If you’re looking for a higher-end hotel room with more amenities, expect to pay $20-50 USD per night for a room. Anything over that is luxury territory.

Camping is available in certain areas, usually for just a few dollars per night for a basic tent plot without electricity. However, this is about the same price as hostels so it’s not really any cheaper.

Food – While each country’s cuisine varies, overall, Southeast Asian food is aromatic, spicy, and flavorful. Typical spices and herbs include garlic, basil, galangal, cilantro, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, chilies, and fish sauce. No matter what region you’re in, you can expect to find a variety of curries, salads, soups, noodle dishes, and stir-fries.

Rice and noodles are central to Southeast Asian food, while the meat is usually pork, chicken, fish, or seafood, which is everywhere on the islands and coastal areas.

While traveling Southeast Asia, street food is the most popular food and cheapest option. On average, these meals cost $1-5 USD. You find these stalls throughout this region lining most streets and every market. They are ubiquitous in the region. In Singapore, street food (from “hawker stands” as they’re known there) costs around $4-5 USD for a meal. Even if you go into small local restaurants, the price doesn’t increase that much.

Food that costs $2 USD at a street stall generally only costs $4-6 USD at a local restaurant. If you went into a restaurant in Thailand, you’d pay around $3-4 USD for a pad Thai that would have cost $1-2 USD on the street.

In Cambodia, street food is around $1-2 USD, while restaurants charge around $3-5 USD for a dish like amok (a coconut milk dish) or luc lac (pepper gravy beef).

Western meals, including burgers, pizza, and sandwiches usually cost around $7-10 USD. But these generally aren’t that great. If you want something that actually tastes as it does back home, expect to spend at least $10-12 USD for your meal.

While cheap, alcohol can take a bite out of your budget if you’re not careful. Those $1-2 USD beers add up! Wine and cocktails are more expensive, generally around $3-5 USD. A cappuccino is typically around $2 USD. Bottled water is plentiful and costs less than $1 USD.

There’s a growing cutting-edge foodie scene in the region and, if you want to splurge, you can do so on some really good meals. Big cities like Bangkok, KL, and Singapore, all have world-class Michelin star restaurants as well some incredible fusion restaurants.

Since dining out is so cheap in the region, there’s no point in grocery shopping unless you’re looking to get some pre-made salads or fruits. Additionally, a general lack of kitchens in most hostels and hotels makes it difficult to cook even if you wanted to. If you do purchase your own groceries, expect to spend around $25 USD per week for basic groceries like local produce, rice, and some meat (while avoiding expensive imported items like cheese and wine).

Backpacking Southeast Asia Suggested Budgets

On a backpacker budget of $45 USD per day, you can stay in hostel dorms, eat out at local markets and street stalls, limit your drinking, do mostly free activities, minimize paid activities, and use public transportation to get around. You’re not going to be able to splash out but you’ll be able to live the typical backpacker experience without really stressing over expenses.

On a mid-range budget of $85 USD per day, you can stay in budget hotels or private hostel rooms, eat more restaurant meals, do more paid activities like cooking classes, take some taxis, and enjoy a few more drinks. You won’t live large, but you won’t be missing out either.

On an upscale budget of $150 USD or more per day, you can stay in nicer hotels with more amenities, eat out as much as you want, do more paid tours including private tours, hire a driver, fly between destinations, and basically do whatever you want. The sky is the limit with this kind of budget!

You can use the chart below to get some idea of how much you need to budget daily, depending on your travel style. Keep in mind these are daily averages — some days you’ll spend more, some days you’ll spend less (you might spend less every day). We just want to give you a general idea of how to make your budget. Prices are in USD.

Southeast Asia Travel Guide: Money-Saving Tips

Backpacking Southeast Asia is cheap. There’s little opportunity to spend a lot of money since everything is already so inexpensive unless you intentionally are trying to splash out on fancy meals and high end hotels. The two reasons why most travelers end up overspending is that they eat a lot of Western food and drink way too much. If you want to save money while traveling in this part of the world, cut down on your drinking and skip the Western food. While country guides have more specific ways to save money, here are some general ways to save money in Southeast Asia:

• Stay with a local – Accommodation is cheap in Southeast Asia but nothing’s cheaper than free! Use Couchsurfing to stay with locals who have extra beds and couches for free. You’ll also meet great people who can show you around and share their insider tips and advice.
• Book tours and day trips as a group – You have more negotiation power when you’re with a group of people buying multiple spots or tickets. Traveling alone? Meet a friend at a hostel and see if they want to join the same tour as you. I’ve met some great friends over the years doing this and highly recommend it.
• Don’t book in advance – Don’t book any tours or activities before you get to your destination. They’ll be much cheaper when you arrive as you’ll be able to negotiate a lower price as you’ll find companies are often offering the same tour and competing. Anything you see online is more expensive than you need to pay!
• Eat on the street – The street food is the best food. The food is the best and cheapest you’ll find. It’s a great way to try new foods and get to chat with locals as well. This is where locals eat so if you want insight into local culture, good food, and savings, eat the street food. Look for where locals are eating to ensure that it’s safe to eat.
• Bargain hard – Nothing is ever at face value here. Bargain with sellers as most of the time, the price they’ve quoted is way higher. There’s a haggling culture in the region so play the game and save some money. It’s important not to convert it in your head to your own currency because it will usually sound cheap even though you might still be getting ripped off. You’ll never get the local price, but you might come close!
• Minimize your drinking – Drinks really add up. Even with cheap drinks, if you’re not aware, you’ll end up spending more money on beer than on food and accommodation. If you want to drink, head to the supermarkets, drink at the hostel, or check out the local happy hours.
• Pack a water bottle – A water bottle with a purifier comes particularly in handy in Southeast Asia since you can’t usually drink the tap water. Save money and thousands of plastic bottles and get a bottle that can purify the tap water for you. My preferred bottle is LifeStraw as it has a built-in filter that ensures your water is always safe and clean.

Where to Stay in Southeast Asia

I’ve been traveling Southeast Asia since 2005 and have stayed in hundreds of places. Here are some of my favorite places to stay in Southeast Asia:

• The Siem Reap Pub Hostel (Siem Reap)
• Onederz Siem Reap (Siem Reap)
• Mad Monkey Siem Reap (Siem Reap)
• Onederz Sihanoukville (Sihanoukville)
• Monkey Republic (Sihanoukville)
• Onederz Phnom Penh (Phnom Penh)
• Sla Boutique Hostel (Phnom Penh)
• The Magic Sponge (Kampot)
• Indigo House Hotel (Luang Prabang)
• Sa Sa Lao (Luang Prabang)
• Sanga Hostel (Pakse)
• Nana Backpackers Hostel (Vang Vieng)
• Dream Home Hostel (Vientiane)
• Traveller Bunker Hostel (Cameron Highlands)
• De’Native Guest House (Cameron Highlands)
• Kitez Hotel & Bunks (Kuala Lumpur)
• Sunshine Bedz Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur)
• Ryokan Muntri Boutique Hostel (Penang)
• Mad Monkey Hostel (Bangkok)
• D&D Inn (Bangkok)
• Kodchasri B&B (Chiang Mai)
• The Royal Guest House (Chiang Mai)
• Green Leaf (Khao Yai)
• Lonely Beach Resort (Ko Chang)
• The Sanctuary (Koh Phangan)
• Na-Tub Hostel (Koh Phangan)
• Pineapple Guesthouse (Phuket)
• Dream Lodge
• The Pod Capsule Hostel
• The Scarlet
• Under the Coconut Tree Guesthouse (Hoi An)
• Fuse Beachside (Hoi An)
• Pretty Backpackers House (Da Lat)
• Hanoi Old Quarter Hostel (Hanoi)
• Luxury Backpackers Hostel (Hanoi)
• The Hideout (HCMC)
• City Backpackers Hostel (HCMC)

How to Get Around Southeast Asia

Public transportation – Public transportation costs from a few pennies to a few dollars, with Singapore and Malaysia offering the most comprehensive public transportation systems. In Thailand, local buses cost around $0.25 USD per trip, while the Metro and Skytrain in Bangkok cost $0.50-1.50 USD per trip. In Cambodia, a bus ticket in Phnom Penh costs just $0.40 USD per ride.

Major cities generally have subway systems but mostly you’ll be using the bus or shared taxis to get around.

Tuk-tuks (small, shared taxis with no meter) are available around much of the region and require a bit of haggling. They usually have 3-6 seats and generally cost more than public transportation but are faster. To find a reputable driver, ask your accommodation as they usually know someone. Tuk-tuk drivers can often be hired for the day for a discounted rate (this is what a lot of people do to visit the Killing Fields and Angkor Wat in Cambodia, for example).

Taxi – Taxis in the region are generally safe, though it’s not uncommon to have to haggle. Scams to rip you off aren’t uncommon either, so always ask your accommodation to call you a taxi whenever possible so you know you’ll get a reputable company.

In Singapore and Indonesia, taxi drivers do put on the meter. In Bangkok, you can get taxi drivers to use the meter, but if you’re hailing one in a tourist area, he might try to avoid using it. In Vietnam, the meter is sometimes rigged, but if you can get a reputable company like Mai Linh, you won’t have any problems.

Ridesharing – Grab, DiDi, and Gojek are Asia’s answer to Uber. They work the same way: you hire a driver to take you somewhere via the app, and you can pay via the app or in cash. It’s often more affordable than a regular taxi, though drivers are a bit unreliable as the practice is not as widespread here as in other parts of the world.

Just keep in mind that some drivers are driving motorcycles so be sure to double check what kind of vehicle is picking you up if you don’t want to ride on the back of one.

Bus – The easiest and cheapest way to travel around Southeast Asia is by bus. The backpacker trail is so worn that there is a very well-established tourist bus system to take you anywhere. Buses costs vary between $5-25 USD for a 5-6 hour journey. Overnight buses cost $20-35 USD depending on distance (they often have reclining seats so you can get a decent sleep).

You can check ticket prices and book tickets for all the different bus companies across Southeast Asia at 12go.asia.

Train – Train service is limited in the region and not something to really consider when you travel Southeast Asia. You can take a train up and down the coast of Vietnam and there’s some limited scenic rails in Malaysia. Thailand is the only country that has an extensive train system that lets you travel all its regions (and onward to Singapore) from Bangkok.

The train prices in Southeast Asia are determined by distance and class. Night trains with sleeper cars are more expensive than day trains. The night train to Chiang Mai from Bangkok takes twelve hours and costs $27 USD for a sleeper seat. However, that same train during the day is $8-9 USD. In Vietnam, trains run up and down the coast and cost $60 USD from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.

Flying – The cost of flying around Southeast Asia has come down in recent years due to the rise of low-cost airlines. Scoot, Jetstar, and AirAsia are the biggest. Nok Air has a lot of flights within Thailand , and VietJet Air is popular in Vietnam . Lion Air serves Indonesia , but its safety record is really spotty and I personally would not fly them. If you book early, you can save on fares, as most of the airlines offer deeply discounted fare sales all the time, especially Air Asia.

Just make sure that the airport these budget airlines fly into isn’t too far out of your way (transportation from the secondary airport sometimes negates the savings from using the budget airline itself).

Also, keep in mind that you usually must pay to check your baggage on these cheap flights. If you wait to pay for your luggage at the gate, you end up paying almost double. Travel carry-on only to avoid this added cost.

All in all, I only recommend flying if you are pressed for time or find a super cheap deal. Otherwise, stick to the bus.

Hitchhiking – Hitchhiking in Southeast Asia is safe, though popularity of the practice varies by country (it’s more common in Malaysia, but not so much in Cambodia). Dress respectably, smile while making eye contact with drivers, and use a cardboard sign to tell people where you’re headed. Be prepared for long bouts of no pick-ups, especially if you’re traveling through more rural areas. Pack plenty of water and food. Also, make sure the people picking you up understand you’re hitchhiking and not flagging down a taxi.

Hitchwiki is a great resource for hitchhiking tips.

Car rental I don’t recommend renting a car in Southeast Asia. Rental cars are expensive ($40 USD per day or more) and the roads here are in poor shape. I would never drive around the region.

When to Go to Southeast Asia

The best time of year to visit Southeast Asia is from November to April when temperatures are milder (though temperatures vary drastically by region). It may be mild in Thailand in January and hot in Malaysia but in Northern Vietnam, it’s cold! Also, one of the biggest mistakes people make is not taking into account the rainy season. In some cases it won’t make a big difference but definitely does if it’s a beach trip.

In Indonesia, the best time to visit is April to October. Temperatures average 24-30ºC (75-86ºF), and the weather is mostly dry. July to September is the peak holiday season and when you can expect to pay the highest rates. December to February is the rainy season.

In Malaysia, January-March and June-September are the best time to visit, as these months have the lowest average rainfall. It is still hot and humid during this time though. The rainy season is from October to December. Singapore’s climate/weather is much like Malaysia’s.

In Vietnam, the weather varies by region. In Central Vietnam (including Hoi An and Nha Trang), January-May is the best time to visit because it is dry and the temperatures average 21-30°C (70-86°F). June to August is also a decent time to visit. If you want to stick around Hanoi, March to April is great, or October to December (for mildest temperatures). The rainy season is May-September.

Thailand has three seasons: hot, hotter, and hottest. It’s always warm, though the weather is nicest between November and February (which is also peak tourist season). Bangkok is “coolest” and driest during this time (but still averaging a hot 29°C/85°F each day). April and May are the hottest months, and the rainy season is June-October. The gulf islands get pretty rainy from August to December.

The dry season in Cambodia is from November-May and the cool season is from November-February (and when most people visit). Temperatures during this time are still high, but humidity is lower. Laos has the same cool season as Cambodia, with the dry season running from November-April.

In the Philippines, it’s mostly warm all year long with an average daily high of 26°C (80°F). There are rainy and dry seasons and temperatures are hot and dry from March-May and cooler December-February. The best time to visit is between January-April when it’s less humid. Monsoon Season is July-October.

For more information on when to go to places, visit the specific country guides.

How to Stay Safe in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is an incredibly safe place to backpack and travel — even if you’re traveling solo and even as a solo female traveler. Violent crime is super, duper rare. Petty theft (including bag snatching) is the most common type of crime in Southeast Asia, especially around popular tourist landmarks. Always keep your valuables out of reach on public transportation and in crowds just to be safe. Never leave your valuables unattended while at the beach and always keep a hold of your purse/bag when out and about as bag snatching is common.

That said, outside touristy areas, theft is really rare. Heck, it’s pretty rare in touristy areas too! But a little vigilance goes a long way and it’s better to be safe than sorry.

There are some common scams around that you’ll want to be aware of, such as the motorbike scam. This involves a bike rental company trying to charge you for damage to the bike that you didn’t cause. To avoid this, always take photos of your rental before you leave so you can protect yourself from baseless claims.

Another common scam involves a tuk-tuk driver taking you somewhere you didn’t want to go in hopes you’ll buy something from the shop/restaurant he dropped you off at (he gets a commission if you do). Simply refuse to buy anything and demand to go back to where you were — or find another driver.

For other common travel scams, read this post about major travel scams to avoid in the region .

Solo female travelers should feel safe here, though it’s generally a good idea to avoid walking around alone at night just to be safe. It’s always a good idea to carry some extra cash to get home in a taxi if you need to. Additionally, always keep an eye on your drink at the bar and never accept drinks from strangers. Be sensible when it comes to dating while traveling and meeting people in public places. As I’m not a woman, please check out some solo female travel blogs to get the best insight.

Overall, the people who get in trouble here tend to be involved with drugs or sex tourism. Avoid those two things and you should be fine. Keep in mind that it’s not always obvious how old someone is or if they’re a sex worker so be mindful when getting involved in romantic interactions. Also, penalties for drug use in this region are stiff so even if you’re here to party, skip the drugs.

Always trust your gut instinct. Make copies of your personal documents, including your passport and ID. Forward your itinerary along to loved ones so they’ll know where you are.

For more in-depth coverage of how to stay safe in Southeast Asia, check out this post that answers some frequently asked questions and concerns.

The most important piece of advice I can offer is to purchase good travel insurance. Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. You can use the widget below to find the policy right for you:

Southeast Asia Travel Guide: The Best Booking Resources

These are my favorite companies to use when I travel. They consistently have the best deals, offer world-class customer service and great value, and overall, are better than their competitors. They are the companies I use the most and are always the starting point in my search for travel deals.

• Skyscanner – Skyscanner is my favorite flight search engine. They search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites tend to miss. They are hands down the number one place to start.
• Hostelworld – This is the best hostel accommodation site out there with the largest inventory, best search interface, and widest availability.
• Agoda – Other than Hostelworld, Agoda is the best hotel accommodation site for Asia.
• Booking.com – The best all around booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. In all my tests, they’ve always had the cheapest rates out of all the booking websites.
• Get Your Guide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions. They have tons of tour options available in cities all around the world, including everything from cooking classes, walking tours, street art lessons, and more!
• SafetyWing – Safety Wing offers convenient and affordable plans tailored to digital nomads and long-term travelers. They have cheap monthly plans, great customer service, and an easy-to-use claims process that makes it perfect for those on the road.
• LifeStraw – My go-to company for reusable water bottles with built-in filters so you can ensure your drinking water is always clean and safe.
• Unbound Merino – They make lightweight, durable, easy-to-clean travel clothing.

Get the In-Depth Budget Guide to Thailand!

My detailed 350+ page guidebook is made for budget travelers like you! It cuts out the fluff found in other guidebooks and gets straight to the practical information you need to travel around Thailand. You’ll find suggested itineraries, budgets, ways to save money, on and off-the-beaten-path things to see and do, non-touristy restaurants, markets, bars, safety tips, and much more! Click here to learn more and get your copy today.

Southeast Asia Travel Guide: Related Articles

Want more info? Check out all the articles I’ve written on Southeast Asia travel and continue planning your trip:

The 4 Best Hostels in Singapore

The 6 Best Hostels in Bali

The 22 Best Things to Do in Bangkok

5 LGBTQ Travel Tips for Asia

Is Southeast Asia Safe for Travelers?

Backpacking Cambodia: 3 Suggested Itineraries for Your Trip

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Top cheapest countries to travel from India

TRAVEL TRENDS , WORLD Created : May 10, 2024, 00:00 IST

Traveling doesn't always have to break the bank. For Indian travellers seeking affordable yet memorable experiences, there exists a number of destinations around the globe that offer incredible value for money. If you are intrigued by now, here’s a curated list of the top cheapest countries to travel from India.

Not so far away from India, Nepal is a budget traveller's paradise. From the majestic Himalayas to the bustling streets of Kathmandu, Nepal offers a wide variety of experiences at pocket-friendly prices. Trek to Everest Base Camp, explore ancient temples, or simply soak in the breathtaking scenery – Nepal has something for everyone.

With its stunning beaches, lush tea plantations, and ancient ruins, Sri Lanka is a gem waiting to be discovered. From the historic city of Kandy to the pristine beaches of Mirissa, Sri Lanka offers tons of attractions at affordable prices. Indulge in delectable cuisine, explore UNESCO World Heritage sites, and try wildlife safaris – all without breaking the bank.

Renowned for its vibrant culture, bustling markets, and pristine beaches, Thailand is one of the sought-after destinations for budget travellers. When here, check out the bustling streets of Bangkok, idyllic islands of Phuket and Koh Samui, and much more. Thailand also offers an abundance of affordable accommodation, transportation, and dining options.

Vietnam is all about stunning landscapes, rich history, and delectable cuisine, and offers incredible value for money. Explore the bustling streets of Hanoi, cruise through the picturesque Halong Bay, or trek through the terraced rice fields of Sapa – Vietnam promises unforgettable experiences at budget-friendly prices.

Home to the iconic Angkor Wat temple complex, Cambodia is a treasure trove of cultural riches. From the vibrant capital of Phnom Penh to the tranquil beaches of Sihanoukville, Cambodia offers a wealth of attractions at affordable prices. Explore ancient temples, sample local delicacies, and immerse yourself in the country's rich history and culture.

With its stunning beaches, lush rainforests, and vibrant culture, Indonesia is a budget traveller's dream destination. From the bustling streets of Jakarta to the tranquil shores of Bali and Lombok, Indonesia offers a diverse array of experiences at affordable prices. Explore ancient temples, hike up volcanoes, or simply relax on pristine beaches – the choice is yours.

With its diverse cultural heritage, stunning landscapes, and vibrant cities, Malaysia offers incredible value for money. From the bustling streets of Kuala Lumpur to the idyllic beaches of Langkawi and Penang, Malaysia offers a wealth of attractions at affordable prices. Indulge in delicious street food, explore ancient temples, and immerse yourself in the country's rich cultural tapestry.

Philippines

With its stunning beaches, vibrant cities, and warm hospitality, the Philippines is a budget traveller's paradise. From the bustling streets of Manila to the pristine shores of Palawan and Boracay, the Philippines offers a wealth of attractions at affordable prices. Explore coral reefs, swim with whale sharks, or simply relax on white sandy beaches – the possibilities are endless.

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Traveling doesn't always have to break the bank. For Indian travellers seeking affordable yet memorable experiences, there exists a number of destinations around the globe that offer incredible value ...