Why India
The country has one billion four hundred million people and twenty-eight states, several of which have the population of a large European country, with their own language, script and cuisine. Going from Kerala to Rajasthan means changing world without changing border.
It is also the destination that divides people most: it is intense, loud, relentless, and it grants no respite. Those who go back often do so for that precise reason.
Getting around
The train is the national institution: seventy thousand kilometres of track, classes ranging from the air-conditioned berth to the general carriage with no seat. Tickets are booked online weeks in advance and go quickly; the tourist quota and the waiting list are mechanisms to understand before departure.
Domestic flights are numerous and cheap for long distances. In the city, ride-hailing apps avoid all negotiation, and the rickshaw is taken on the meter where one exists.
Money
QR code payments are everywhere, including with street vendors, but the system requires an Indian account. A visitor stays on cash and cards.
ATMs are numerous and reliable in the cities. Plan on small denominations: nobody gives change on a large note, and that blocks many everyday transactions.
Before you go
Tap water is not drunk, not even for brushing your teeth. In the first days, sticking to cooked food and sealed bottled water avoids losing a week. Street food is excellent but is chosen where there is footfall and turnover.
Temples require removing shoes and leather, and socks spare you the scorching paving. Some sanctuaries are closed to non-Hindus, and it is posted.
The touts at stations and airports offer taxis, hotels or agencies, claiming that yours is closed, full or cancelled. It is never true, and checking for yourself is the only answer.