Fodor's Essential India: with Delhi, Rajasthan, Mumbai & Kerala (Full-color Travel Guide)

To be clear, Fodor’s Essential India is a guide to the western half of India -- beginning toward the north at the capital city of Delhi and environs (e.g. the Taj Mahal) and proceeding south along the Arabian coast to Rajasthan with its palaces and camel rides, to the bazaars of modern Mumbai and environs (e.g. wineries, cave paintings/carvings), and finishing at the beaches and Portuguese influences of Goa. It is a glaring omission that there is no mention of the eastern half of India (e.g. Calcutta), not to acknowledge its unsuitability for travel nor even its existence. I was also surprised at no mention of yoga.

That clarified, there is a lot of the usual Fodor’s here -- an introduction to India as travel destination; an overview show more of history and contemporary culture; then sections on each city/region including attractions (with holy sites), food, lodging, shopping, and entertainment/nightlife -- all complemented by color photos and accompanied by adequate maps. But because India may be less familiar to travelers, there is more description in this guide -- definitions of typical foods, social do’s and taboos, and information about the quality of lodging and modes of transportation (air, train, bus, car, rickshaw). A section on Indian books and films provides excellent sources for travelers (or armchair travelers) preparing for a trip. Acknowledging that “it’s next to impossible to rush while you’re here,” and that even a basic tour of India could take months, there’s a suggested 1 1/2-week itinerary of highlights of the Delhi area plus numerous 2-4 day add-ons to farther-flung sites.

Travelers considering a trip to *western* India will find this a helpful guide. show less

Fodor's Travel Guides never disappoint and this one in particular is no exception. The writers and the editor did a superb job putting together this wonderful guide, with full description of places, that should be able to fulfill all your needs for information on what to do, how to do, where to go, etc... when you are in India.
I have never been in that region and looking at this guide made me want to go and visit many places. This guide is fully illustrated with beautiful photos and maps and they go deep in details on every attraction that you can find in that country.

They propose the golden triangle itinerary for a 11-day trip that cover the most important places in Delhi, Jaipur, Agra (The Taj Mahal) and Fatehpur Sikri, besides giving show more you a high level picture of the history of each place. Suggested attractions to visit have a reference price and hours of operation. Other add-ons proposed are Mumbai and Goa from Delhi, and Varanasi and Khajurao, also from Delhi..

Finally the "Where to Eat", "Where to Stay", "Shopping", and "Nightlife" sections of the guide are a tremendous help when you are planning your trip.
This is an outstanding result for a combined effort from eight different writers and it was published by Fodor's Travel, a division of Random House Inc. in June 2011. I recommend this book for those who are serious about planing their trips and also for those who want to remember details on previous travels, while wishing they can return to India some day in the future.

Amazon.com was kind enough to provide this book for me through their Vine Program for reviewing and I was not request to provide a positive review. Opinions expressed here are my own. show less