India guide
Like India itself, our India travel guide is bursting with colour and spice.
What to expect on a rural India vacation
Things to do on a rural India vacation…
Things not to do on a rural India vacation…
Our Rural India Vacations
Sikkim & Kolkata cultural tour in India
Cultural Immersion with Tribal Communities in Sikkim.
From
US $1199 to US $1499
11 days
ex flights
Central India Buddhist heritage tour
Buddhist trails and caves, ancient temples, village life
From
US $1100 to US $1500
12 days
ex flights
Central India vacation, culture and wildlife
The very best of central India's wildlife and history
From
Rupee 249000
16 days
ex flights
History, culture & wildlife of India vacation
From the Nilgiri Hills to the beaches of Goa
From
£1336
15 days
ex flights
Gujarat vacation and the Rann of Kutch, India
A fascinating mix of local village culture and wild landscapes
From
£3350 to £3395
15 days
ex flights
Kanha tiger safari & cycling tour, India
Gentle Cycling in the Secret Heart of India
From
£2500 to £3000
12 days
ex flights
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Rural India or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
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Rural India travel tips
Why go to Central India?
Why go to Central India?
Sophie Hartman, founder of our supplier Rural Vacations in India, shares her top tips for making the most of this kind of vacation:
“Being quiet and off the beaten track, Chhattisgarh doesn't present the challenges that can face one in more touristy spots; you won't meet anyone touting their services or aggressively trying to sell you things. More than 50 percent of my guests have been first time visitors to India and have loved the peace and the gentle friendliness of the people they meet.”
“Being quiet and off the beaten track, Chhattisgarh doesn't present the challenges that can face one in more touristy spots; you won't meet anyone touting their services or aggressively trying to sell you things. More than 50 percent of my guests have been first time visitors to India and have loved the peace and the gentle friendliness of the people they meet.”
What to pack?
What to pack?
“Not too much! Long sleeved cotton shirts and trousers; decent trainers for walking in and some flip flop-type sandals that come off easily for going into people's houses. Bear in mind that it gets very, very cold at night and early morning in rural Central India. Layer up for park drives at Kanha, the temperature can change by about 20°C during the course of the morning. We discourage gift giving as it causes all sorts of problems but sharing the photos you have taken is a swift and happy way of interacting.”
The best time to travel
The best time to travel
“I love October and November when everything is lush and green after the monsoon, but any time between October and the end of March is good – after which it gets too hot to be much fun.”
The pace of travel
The pace of travel
“Take it slow. It is so much nicer to spend your time getting to know an area and the people in it really well, than it is to spend one's vacation constantly on the move. Try to walk or cycle as much as possible; you'll engage with people on a far more equal footing if you arrive by bike or on foot, rather than climbing out of a car. Running is also huge fun – I love early morning runs through forest and village, and laugh that it is the only place in the world where a woman can run alone and be completely unafraid when a man emerges from the forest with an axe over his shoulder! The laughter of children on my morning trot is something I miss hugely when running back home in the Welsh borders.”
Keep an open mind
Keep an open mind
“Be prepared for plans to change, flights or trains to be late, and for things to flow in an occasionally unpredictable way. Leave your punctual European mindset behind and you'll feel less frustrated by the way things work in India. Sometimes delays offer up unexpectedly delightful experiences: invitations into people's homes, or ingenious solutions to problems. We advise you to carry a few snacks in the car – small problems are always a little harder to bear when combined with low blood sugar!”
Recommendations from those who have been there
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful rural vacations in India travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation – and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful rural vacations in India travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation – and the space inside your suitcase.
An experience I am very glad to have had. Not so much a vacation or vacation as a journey.![]()
– Marilyn Jestes, traveling from Delhi to Calcutta
“My wife and I went on this trip with our 17 year-old son. Even as seasoned travelers to India, we would never have been able to do this trip on our own because this part of central India really doesn't have much tourist/traveler infrastructure. Our wonderful guide, Saurabh… enabled us to visit families and villages in a way that was really rewarding and not the slightest bit 'icky'… I especially enjoyed being taught how to make herb chapatis over a fire.” – Jonathan Drori
“We expected it to be hot. But July was VERY hot... except in the Nilgiri hills where it was beautifully cool. No wonder the British spent the summer in the hills. It was manageable with the help of an air con car and accommodation but I have to admit, if you can, go in the cooler season.” – Anna Perkins in Southern India
“We expected it to be hot. But July was VERY hot... except in the Nilgiri hills where it was beautifully cool. No wonder the British spent the summer in the hills. It was manageable with the help of an air con car and accommodation but I have to admit, if you can, go in the cooler season.” – Anna Perkins in Southern India
I did not know what to expect from an homestay in a village up in the Nilgiri hills. What I have found is one of the nicest, most caring and friendly families I have ever met.![]()
– Anna Maria Reforgiato
“Be prepared for a 'total experience' – living and traveling with the hosts. It is very rewarding, but you must buy into the idea of a homestay experience.” – Rachel Batley in Southern India
“Make sure you save a couple of days off after you return home – you'll be too exhausted to go straight back to work! Be prepared to be dusty and dirty and not have many clean clothes. And don't bother wearing white or light colours during the day.” – Anthea Harvey, horse trekking in Rajasthan
“It is important for both men and women to dress quite conservatively in rural areas. It would have been better if I (older woman) had purchased some Indian clothing to wear (e.g. long shirt), but long pants and a short-sleeved shirt worked.” – Mary Vetter
“Take a universal sink plug – they were a rarity. Take travel wash, because although washing services are universal and cheap, one is rarely in one place long enough to employ them, and we were reliably informed that in any case the dhobi wallah will smash your buttons on the rock!” – Kate & Adrian Parker
“Make sure you save a couple of days off after you return home – you'll be too exhausted to go straight back to work! Be prepared to be dusty and dirty and not have many clean clothes. And don't bother wearing white or light colours during the day.” – Anthea Harvey, horse trekking in Rajasthan
“It is important for both men and women to dress quite conservatively in rural areas. It would have been better if I (older woman) had purchased some Indian clothing to wear (e.g. long shirt), but long pants and a short-sleeved shirt worked.” – Mary Vetter
“Take a universal sink plug – they were a rarity. Take travel wash, because although washing services are universal and cheap, one is rarely in one place long enough to employ them, and we were reliably informed that in any case the dhobi wallah will smash your buttons on the rock!” – Kate & Adrian Parker
More about Rural India
Enjoy homestays, nature walks, valley treks, weaving workshops and the pleasure of home cooked meals, shared with local hosts and families...
Vacations in rural India take you beyond the Taj Mahal and tigers into traditional, welcoming villages - a side of India that few get to experience...
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