LashWorldTour with Sikh men at Golden Temple - Amritsar India

Hanging out with 2 Sikh men at the Golden Temple in Amritsar

Easy India pt 3 – 10 Great Easy Destinations in India

If you’d love to travel through India but don’t want to deal with massive traffic, deafening noise, staggering crowds, toxic air pollution, stifling heat nor to put up with male harassment and the very real risk of rape (for western women travelers) then there’s good news: Easy Indian travel is a reality! You just have to carefully select the places that you do visit. And the places you don’t visit. It’s really as simple as that.

Tibetan monk walking in Dharamsala

My current 3-month trip through India is proof. I’ve been traveling around India for nearly two months thus far and each & every place I’ve visited has been easy. Super easy, in fact.

Even after two continuous months in India, I don’t feel the least bit tired, frustrated, starved, harassed or at my wits end. And I’m certainly not dying to get the H out of here, as many travelers to India end up feeling. If my travels here continue to be this easy, I could literally stay indefinitely (if I had the visa, that is).

If you would like the same kind of enjoyable, stress-free experiences in India as I’m having (and packed with interesting & varied destinations, gorgeous scenery & temples, delicious & plentiful food and relaxing travels) then read on.

Following are my top 10 recommendations.

Half of these destinations are located in the northwest Indian Himalayan State of Himachal Pradesh, so you might want to read through my post explaining why the entire state of Himachal is such an easy place to travel.

Without further ado, here are 10 easy Indian destinations:

beautiful scenery of Dharamsala, India

Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh

Dharamsala is a small mountain town, most famous as the home of the Dalai Lama and seat of the Tibetan government in exile. You can enjoy stunning views of high snow-capped Himalayan peaks, go hiking in pine forests and mountains, learn about Tibet & Tibetan culture and eat a whole slew of delicious foods & bakery items.

I’ve written an entire post on what makes Dharamsala such an easy destination. In fact, I highly recommend it as a first destination in India to newbies looking to avoid India’s ‘messiness’.

Here’s a photo gallery of Dharmasala and my suggestions for Learning About Tibetan Culture.

Mandi

Mandi, Himachal Pradesh

Mandi is another small town in the Indian Himalayas. Unlike Dharamsala, it lies in a valley at the confluence of two Himalayan rivers and is completely Indian. As such, it’s somewhat noiser and more chaotic than many other Himalayan towns, but not too much. That’s because many of Mandi’s streets are so narrow that they’re pedestrian only. The lack of vehicles in most of the city center makes it a pleasant town to stroll through.

Mandi is dotted with several dozen small, beautiful temples of varying styles, dating back as far as 600 AD. Between the ancient narrow stone streets, charming temples and river views, Mandi is a great little town to visit for a couple days.

peaceful Rewalsar Lake, surrounded by Tibetan monasteries and Sikh & Hindu temples

Rewalsar, Himachal Pradesh

Rewalsar lies about 25 km from Mandi, up a twisting mountain road. It consists of a small community of Tibetan monasteries and Sikh & Hindu temples set around a small sacred lake. As a holy spot for most visitors, Rewalsar has an amazingly peaceful, serene ambiance.

Several Tibetan guest houses and monasteries offer inexpensive rooms. Great Tibetan and Indian food can be found at several small cafes & restaurants. It’s a great place to chill out.

Here’s my photo gallery of Rewalsar

Indian Coffee House - photos of Shimla India

Indian Coffee House is a long-standing institution in Shimla, packing a lot of charm

Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

Shimla is the capital of Himchal Pradesh state. It’s the largest city in the state, which basically amounts to a larger mountain town. Shimla is set along a high ridge-line at 2200 M / 7260 ft and offers spectacular views of distant snow-capped Himalayan ranges.

A former British hill station, the town is splattered with charming colonial architecture. Despite its larger size and popularity as a tourist & honeymoon destination, Shimla remains relatively quiet and peaceful due to the fact that the entire town is pedestrian only! No vehicles allowed.

Amazingly, the entire city has also banned smoking and spitting. Shimla is clean, quiet, traffic free and full of charming buildings and mountain views.

Here’s my photo gallery of Shimla.

Paragliding in Solang Valley – Manali – photo from Flckr CC by Raman Virdi

Manali, Himachal Pradesh

Manali is located smack in the middle of the state and is a major western tourists’ destination. It’s primarily an outdoor adventure lovers’ paradise offering trekking, paragliding and white water rafting. It’s also the main gateway to more remote Himalayan treks, valleys and the fabled Tibetan cultural regions of Ladhak & Leh further north.

To be honest, I have not personally visited Manali. But I’ve heard about it from many other travelers. Based on what I’ve read & heard and my own experiences in several Himachal Pradesh destinations, I’m confident to recommend Manali as an equally easy destination. (Please write to tell me if you’ve had a different experience there!)

Tibetan monks playing music during lama dance - Clement Town India

Tibetan monks playing music during lama dance at a temple in Clement Town

Clement Town, Uttarakand

Clement Town is a small Tibetan enclave located 10 km south of sprawling, chaotic Dehra Dun city. The community is an utterly serene oasis in the midst of Indian ‘mess’. The enclave consists of one short street of shops, several roads with Tibetan houses and several impressive Tibetan Temples, statues and monasteries.

The entire area is immaculately clean with well-maintained landscaped gardens and heaps of gorgeous Tibetan architecture. Of course several Tibetan restaurants serve up tasty cuisine.

The only glitch is that it can be hard for westerners to stay at any of the guest houses. For some reason the Indian government has placed restrictions on western visitors to Clement Town. If you’re lucky, you’ll be allowed to stay 1-2 nights while keeping a low profile.

western banks of Rishikesh, set along the mighty Ganges River before it leaves the Himalayas

Rishikesh, Uttarakand

Rishikesh was made famous around the world by the Beetles’ extended visit back in the 1960s. Ever since, it has attracted hippies and those interested in healthy lifestyles including yoga, meditation, ayurvedic therapies and living amidst nature.

Set along the mighty Ganges River in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, Rishikesh consists of a rather touristy cluster of shops, guest houses, cafes & restaurants geared towards western travelers. Amidst all that, is the main reason westerners head to Rishikesh: yoga centers, ashrams and places to study massage, ayurvedic therapies, meditation and Indian music.

Rishikesh is equally famous among Indian pilgrims who flock there to visit the sacred Ganges and the many Hindu temples and ashrams lining its shores.

one of my photos of Golden Temple of Amritsar India

the stunning Golden Temple of Amritsar

The Golden Temple of Amritsar, Punjab

Located on the dusty Indian plains just 30 km from the border of Pakistan in far northwestern India, Amritsar is a truly Indian city full of chaotic traffic, deafening noise and crowds.

However, the famous Golden Temple of the Sikh religion is a spacious, serene oasis in the midst of chaos. Visiting the Golden Temple is exceedingly easy for several reasons. First of all, the temple offers a free ‘non-Indian private dormitory’ to all foreign guests for 1-3 nights. The temple also serves free food to all visitors, nearly 24-7.

You literally never have to leave the temple complex during your entire stay, unless you chose to do so. You might want to venture out to eat more varied meals, attend the nearby whacky border closing ceremony, or wander about the narrow alleys of the old city surrounding the temple.

Here’s my photo gallery of the Golden Temple

Rose Garden – one of many gardens & parks in Chandigarh

Chandigarh, Haryana

Chandigarh is also located down on the Indian plains, just south of Himachal Pradesh border in the small state of Haryana. Dubbed India’s ‘Garden City’, it’s a truly unique city in India.

Designed by French architect Le Corbusier in the 1800s, Chandigarh is laid out on a massive grid with wide tree-lined boulevards and boasts several sprawling gardens & parks, including a pretty lake.

I had mixed feelings about Chandigarh. On the down side, accommodation and food are expensive. The city is on a such a huge scale that exploring can take many hours of walking, cycling and/or buses & tuk-tuks.

But in terms of ‘easy India’, Chandigarh fits the bill. You definitely won’t be plagued by crowds, traffic, noise or harassment. Here’s my take on the city.

Andaman Islands from Flckr CC – by Jakub Michankow

The Andaman Islands

The remote Andaman Islands are located way out in the middle of the Indian Ocean, east of India, and actually are closer to Thailand than to India. However, as a tightly-controlled Indian territory, they can only be accessed from the Indian mainland.

Because they can’t be accessed internationally and are so remote, the cluster of islands covered by jungles, beaches and coral reefs are still in pristine condition – or so I’ve heard.

My own trip to the Andamans is coming up in early December, when I go for a one-month jaunt in those fabled tropical islands. Yippie! I’ve been waiting at least a decade to go there, so I’m thrilled to finally make it.

So at this point I’m actually hedging my bets, based on all I’ve read & heard, that they are also going to be an easy Indian destination. I’ll be sure to confirm one way or the other after I get there!

If you are looking to work or do any type of business, you can use this service to apply for your PAN card.

——————————————————————————————————————————–

You might also want to check out:

Easy India pt 1 – Start in Dharamsala

Easy India pt 2 – Himachal Pradesh State

Accommodation Options at Delhi Airport

————————————————————————————————————————————–