Experiencing this amazing sub continent can and will be an adventure of a lifetime and will be so much more life enriching when combined with good tips and advice. India is one of the worlds most iconic exotic destinations and fittingly it can consume volumes of information that can inundate a traveler especially from the west – yet the payback in experiencing such a richly diverse country is worth every bit of the preparation.

By all parameters India has it all in stunning quantities on a scenic tapestry almost larger than life: great mountains of the Himalayahs with the legendary Everest, deserts, tropical jungles and beaches all enwrapped in an omnipresent warm swath of humid air. The regions of this large country are as diverse in culture, languages and traditions as they are in topography and seasonal influxes as the monsoons (  the 'Southwest monsoon' June to September and 'Northeast monsoon' October to February). These not only influence the economy via the critical rainfall - which can be substantial - over much of India but also your itinerary; whether or not you would prefer to avoid the bulk of those months.

Indians are friendly helpful people and English is a widely spoken language. Yet you will quickly come to understand that certain unrequested help and the ensuing 'friendliness' to foreign travelers is often simply a tout hopeful of diverting your itinerary and funds to awaiting associates, businesses, or outright scams to prey upon gullible travelers. This is very common to many underdeveloped countries and India is by no means unique in this respect.

Two simple rules to deal with touts:

• anyone offering to help you or offer information as complete strangers you can assume is a tout.;
• anyone offering you alarming information such your hotel just burned down or is out of business etc is a tout.
• Ignore them totally as though you don't even see them;
• Tell them a resolute NO and repeat it as you begin ignoring them. They will soon give up.

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