Traveling in India with children is a once in a lifetime experience. India is full of stories, it’s like opening an adventure book or stepping into a movie set! With mountain train journeys, wildlife safaris (yes, the Jungle Book!), backwater houseboats, camel rides in the desert, fairy tale palaces and forts, rickshaw rides, cricket games and an incredibly vibrant culture.
Each moment of each day will feel like sinking into a different page of the script giving them a whole host of fascinating memories they themselves turn into stories back in the class room.
People don’t often think about India as a family destination, but several years ago my brother, sister in law and their 4 children (aged 10 – 22) came out on a holiday, and they still talk about it as the best trip they’ve ever done. I lived in India for many years and there are so many expat families living there who constantly take their kids out of Delhi on adventures and, with the growth of the Indian middle classes, more and more Indian’s are traveling, and that’s pretty much always as a family.
But where to start when planning a family trip to India? Well, this isn’t the problem but rather, once you dip your toe in the water, it’s knowing when to stop! There’s so much to choose from.
And, this is the key for family travel. It is easy to get carried away trying to cram in as many destinations as possible, as many people do when trying to ‘do India,’ in one trip. BUT, bear two things in mind;
- India can be hot and overwhelming and
- Everything, but everything is a new experience.
My nephews, niece (and brother & sister-in-law for that matter) were gobsmacked just by the drive to my house from the airport and, seeing a monkey on my balcony had them entertained for a good hour, seeing a camel strolling along the street sent them into raptures! One doesn’t need to look too hard to find something that will amaze the kids, simple things like their first trip in a tuk tuk will be a memory that will last a life time. So you see, the trick is not to plan too much, every minute of every day in India is an experience.
Here’s a few tips to help you on your way, plan that trip and give your kids (and yourselves) the holiday of a lifetime.
- Throw away the rule book. Ignore the way most holidays to India are planned and slow things down. I once had a discussion with a client who kept saying, ‘but no company spends more than 2 nights in Jaipur!’ I prevailed, stuck to 4 and when they were actually there, they wished they’d had an extra night. There is so so so much more to do in destinations then most classic itineraries offer. Take Jaipur as one example. There’s kite flying and pottery making and block printing and walking with elephants and making paper out of elephant poo and leopard safaris and half day treks and not one, not two, but three forts to explore – the boys became engrossed in the stories and their imagination went wild! The girls got their own back in bazaars and jewellery making and shopping. There’s the ghost town of Bhangarh and picnics like you’ve never experienced and bike rides and village visits and, oh, you get the picture! Because, don’t forget, you’ll also need down time, time to chill by the pool and decompress from all you’ll have seen.
2. Choose accommodation carefully but remember, with the growing number of travellers within India many of whom travel with families, India is more geared up than ever for an adventure the whole family can enjoy. Kids can run around in hotels there, and make new friends and are indulged in a way that doesn’t happen in many European Countries. One factor that is important is to choosing accommodation with a swimming pool, especially if traveling in the hotter months (those pesky school holidays!). Plan sightseeing (based more around experiences than monuments) in the mornings and then a chilled-out afternoon by the pool. Homestays are another great option, you might think that this will take you out of your comfort zone, but staying in a homestay will be one of the most memorable things you will do in India as a family. Indians genuinely love to include you in their everyday lives, whether it is farming, fishing, visiting the local school, or teaching you their natural cooking skills and they are very family orientated.
3. Think also about off beat stays, they are a brilliant (understatement) for families; there’s space, quirky accommodation whether homestays or former summer palaces, or swanky tented camps or forts. The nearby rural villages are fascinating and everyone is friendly and welcoming. They can do nature walks, bike rides, boat rides, get invited to join a street cricket match, have a picnic in a fort, visit farms, spend time by the pool, try safe and local cuisine, head out in jeeps or on bullock cart rides, meet the local kids in the villages. In short, the kids can run riot, play, learn, explore and fall into an exhausted sleep at the end of the day, in a room that is more than comfortable and like little else they will have experienced. There’s more than enough for 4 nights in these locations.
4. Taking the kids on safari is another great option. What could be more exciting than seeing a tiger in the wild? Time in the jungles, in the lap of nature is also a wonderful learning experience. Discovering the different birds and trees and plants and animals of the Indian jungles. Some lodges now also have junior ranger programs, planned just for the young naturalist to get to grips with the jungles and all that there is to be discovered, learning how to track animals such as leopards and tigers!
5. Of course, time at the beach is always a popular choice and quite fun for a few nights at the end of the trip. With a coastline of 7,500 kms, there’s plenty to choose from, though Goa and Kerala remain the most popular choices.
All in all, I’d recommend spending a minimum of 3 nights, but ideally 4 nights in each destination. Remember, less is more, take time to appreciate all that a destination has to offer, allow for down time and be ready to have a journey they’ll be boasting about in the class room for years to come!
For further advice on family traveling to India (Sri Lanka or Nepal), contact philippa@indianexperiences.com
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