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A vibrant and honest travel blog

I Dream of Mangoes

INDIA

From the snowy peaks of the Himalayas in the far North to the glittering backwaters of Kerala down South, travelling India puts on a show! This jarring yet compelling country could be considered my speciality, as having spent almost 2 years travelling in Incredible India I have gathered a lot of knowledge to share. With 28 different states to explore, even after all this time I don't feel like I have scratched the surface of what India has to offer. These days India has enough infrastructure for tourism so that backpacking is safe and some paths are very well-trodden, but things are rarely straightforward. So say Goodbye to personal space, and Hello to chaos and colour!

Image by Monthaye

Within India

There are 28 states in India and I have divided them into a 'northern half' and a 'southern half' to help you plan your travels.

India Travel Tips

India's States & Territories
(I have travelled those in bold)

Andra Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Assam
Bihar
Chhattisgarh
Goa
Gujurat
Haryana
Himachal Pradesh
Jharkhand

Karnataka
Kerala
Madhya Pradesh
Mahararshtra
Manipur
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Nagaland
Odisha
Punjab

Rajasthan
Sikkim
Tamil Nadu
Telangana
Tripura
Uttar Pradesh
Uttarakhand
West Bengal
Jammu & Kasmir
Ladakh
Andaman & Nicobar
Lakshadweep

India Travel Tips

A Pre-departure Checklist for Travelling India

Where to Practice Yoga in India

Train Travel in India for Tourists (& Train Classes)

Is India Safe for Women? (written by a solo female traveller)

An India Itinerary for First Timers

North India

Crossing the Dawki/Tamabil Border Post from India to Bangladesh as a Foreigner

IDreamofMangoes

Dec 87 min read

Crossing the Dawki/Tamabil Border Post from India to Bangladesh as a Foreigner

A step-by-step guide for crossing the Dawki/Tamabil land border post between India and Bangladesh.

Fine Dining at the Last Frontier – A Journey to India's Most Unique Restaurant

IDreamofMangoes

Nov 308 min read

Fine Dining at the Last Frontier – A Journey to India's Most Unique Restaurant

Find out how I travelled to India's last frontier in the Eastern Himalayas to eat at one of the most unique restaurants in the world: Damu's

Unique Things to Do in Meghalaya - The Abode of the Clouds

IDreamofMangoes

Nov 246 min read

Unique Things to Do in Meghalaya - The Abode of the Clouds

In this travel guide, I will tell you all about the unique things to do in magical Meghalaya, a natural paradise in India's Northeast....

Meghalaya's Living Root Bridges – Off the Beaten Path

IDreamofMangoes

Nov 107 min read

Meghalaya's Living Root Bridges – Off the Beaten Path

If you're reading this article, you've probably heard of Meghalaya's famous Living Root Bridges, an ingenious innovation by the Khasi...

How to get a Protected Area Permit (PAP) for Arunachal Pradesh

IDreamofMangoes

Nov 36 min read

How to get a Protected Area Permit (PAP) for Arunachal Pradesh

In this guide, I will tell you how to get a Protected Area Permit, known as a PAP, required for visiting Arunachal Pradesh as a foreigner.

How to visit Kaziranga National Park to see the Great One-Horned Rhino

IDreamofMangoes

Oct 277 min read

How to visit Kaziranga National Park to see the Great One-Horned Rhino

I visited Kaziranga National Park as a solo female traveller in October 2024 using public transport and this is how I did it.

Where to Eat Like a Local in Amritsar

IDreamofMangoes

Sep 13 min read

Where to Eat Like a Local in Amritsar

In this India travel guide, we will tell you about the best places you can eat like a local in Amritsar, a foodie haven and the capital...

The Highlights of Travelling Himachal Pradesh

IDreamofMangoes

Apr 1412 min read

The Highlights of Travelling Himachal Pradesh

This is a travel guide for backpacking Himachal Pradesh in North India. Complete with all of the info you would need to plan your trip.

The Best One-Month Backpacking Itinerary for North India

IDreamofMangoes

Mar 319 min read

The Best One-Month Backpacking Itinerary for North India

I have been to India 6 times, and if I were to compose a one-month itinerary for North India for 'first-time me' this is how it would go...

How to Spend One Day in Varanasi

IDreamofMangoes

Mar 279 min read

How to Spend One Day in Varanasi

This is a travel guide to Varanasi, also known as Banaras or Kashi, a holy city in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Places to Visit and Things to Do in Agra in One Day Only!

IDreamofMangoes

Feb 109 min read

Places to Visit and Things to Do in Agra in One Day Only!

If you're one of the 8 million people per year planning to visit the Taj Mahal, and you're looking for other must-visit places in Agra...

Must Visit Places in Incredible Amritsar

IDreamofMangoes

Feb 1012 min read

Must Visit Places in Incredible Amritsar

A complete travel guide for the City of Amritsar in Punjab, with things to do, where to eat, and insider tips.

A Travel Guide for Kolkata and The Sundarbans

IDreamofMangoes

Feb 48 min read

A Travel Guide for Kolkata and The Sundarbans

Ever since reading 'The Hungry Tide' by Amitav Ghosh, I had dreamt of visiting these wild mangrove forests on the shores of North-East India

Discovering Sikkim: A Travel Guide for India's Best-kept Secret

IDreamofMangoes

Jan 1012 min read

Discovering Sikkim: A Travel Guide for India's Best-kept Secret

Planning a trip to Sikkim? This travel guide has got you covered! Discover the hidden gem of Eastern Himalayas with insider tips and advice.

Visiting the Taj Mahal and Rajasthan Independently

IDreamofMangoes

Dec 16, 202311 min read

Visiting the Taj Mahal and Rajasthan Independently

Find out how to combine an incredible trip to India's most iconic landmark, the Taj Mahal, with a tour of Rajasthan - the land of colour!

An Honest Review of My Time at Vipassana Centre (Dharamkot)

IDreamofMangoes

May 20, 202313 min read

An Honest Review of My Time at Vipassana Centre (Dharamkot)

My humble experience at a Vipassana Meditation Centre that did not end with the blissful reckoning I had been hoping for.

The Best Places to Eat in Dharamkot, Himachal Pradesh

IDreamofMangoes

Apr 13, 20234 min read

The Best Places to Eat in Dharamkot, Himachal Pradesh

A complete guide to the 5 best places to eat in the small village of Dharamkot, not to be missed!

South India

How to Get to Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, Kerala

IDreamofMangoes

Oct 209 min read

How to Get to Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, Kerala

I visited Kerala's Parambikulam Tiger Reserve as a solo traveller in September 2024, and before my trip, I could not find any information...

Backwaters & Beaches | A Unique Kerala - Goa Itinerary

IDreamofMangoes

Oct 1214 min read

Backwaters & Beaches | A Unique Kerala - Goa Itinerary

In this unique Kerala - Goa itinerary, we will go over everything you need to know to plan your trip to these two dreamy destinations in...

How to See the Water Lilies at Malarikkal Village, Kerala

IDreamofMangoes

Oct 65 min read

How to See the Water Lilies at Malarikkal Village, Kerala

This is how you can see the millions of pink water lilies that bloom in the lagoons surrounding Malarikkal Village in Kerala.

48 Hours of Serenity: How to Visit Munroe Island, Kerala

IDreamofMangoes

Sep 296 min read

48 Hours of Serenity: How to Visit Munroe Island, Kerala

It took me seven trips to India to discover Munroe Island, a place so special I was very close to gatekeeping it.

Della's Journey Home - from Kerala to Goa by Train

IDreamofMangoes

Sep 2214 min read

Della's Journey Home - from Kerala to Goa by Train

This is a story about a girl named Della, and how she and I travelled by overnight train from Kerala to Goa.

The Ultimate Guide for Independent Travel in Kerala

IDreamofMangoes

Aug 2512 min read

The Ultimate Guide for Independent Travel in Kerala

This Kerala travel guide contains everything you need to know to visit this tropical paradise in the south of India.

The Best One-Month Backpacking Itinerary for South India

IDreamofMangoes

Apr 79 min read

The Best One-Month Backpacking Itinerary for South India

In this travel guide for South India, we will offer you an awesome one-month itinerary for exploring this incredibly diverse country...

The Best Cafes and Restaurants in Gokulam, Mysore

IDreamofMangoes

Feb 206 min read

The Best Cafes and Restaurants in Gokulam, Mysore

In this guide, we will go over all of the best cafes and restaurants in the Gokulam locality of Mysore, a city in India's southern state...

A Yoga Student's Travel Guide to Mysore (Mysuru)

IDreamofMangoes

Feb 1410 min read

A Yoga Student's Travel Guide to Mysore (Mysuru)

In this Yoga student's travel guide to Mysore, we will cover everything you need to know to plan your trip to the yoga capital...

Coming Home to Kerala: A 10-Day Itinerary Through 'God's Own Country'

IDreamofMangoes

Jan 1610 min read

Coming Home to Kerala: A 10-Day Itinerary Through 'God's Own Country'

A travel guide to the tropical shores of Kerala in South India. When to go, how to get there, unique things to do, with a full itinerary.

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