5 Myths about touring India

1) India is huge. I need at least 5 months to map the entire landscape

On the face of it, this point holds some truth. India is a huge country which spans 3214 Kms. in length and 2933 Kms. in breadth and has numerous heritage sites and natural wonders which deserve a look, but, with people being time-crunched, numerous tour operators in India have now framed crisp itineraries which lets you explore both popular as well as hidden gems in the country. Itineraries of 2 months have been set up which lets you cover the entire country and makes sure you do not miss out on anything important.

2) Indian food will make me fall sick

10 years ago, this statement would have been true. We have seen numerous instances of tourists falling sick after binging on that junk cartel of street food in a corner in New Delhi and being bed ridden for the next 10 days, effectively ruining their trip. Circa 2012, and the situation is now under control. Numerous health checks by various civic bodies in their respective cities have made sure that restaurants and eateries (including street cartels) follow a prescribed safety and hygiene norm which lets you savour Indian gastronomical delights without worrying about getting a Delhi Belly.

3) Indian travel agents are unprofessional

There has been a huge overhaul in the travel scenario here in India since the past decade. Travel agents are now required to get themselves registered under the aegis of the Ministry of Tourism if they wish to operate in the travel vertical in the country. Hotels also have a governing body which conducts periodic checks to make sure that the operations and processes are in greater interest for the consumers and that there are no tariff violations and harassment of visitors. To add to that, the travel agents themselves now understand that for their business to flourish, they need good reviews on the internet and they cannot afford to lax now.

4) India is grappling with Terrorism. It is unsafe

This decade (2002-2012) saw the biggest growth in the number of incoming tourist base in the country and the decade of 09-18 will have the highest growth potential amongst all countries. There were certain areas in the country (read: Kashmir) which saw terrorist activity in the early years of 2000 and 2001, but since then it has been largely peaceful due to the intervention of the armed forces and the local police. The Mumbai attacks recently were no doubt horrendous but it was largely a blip in the overall security scenario of the country. You can now travel in india, without any fears whatsoever.

5)India is not a beach country

Time and again, I have heard people complaining about the lack of beaches in the country. India holiday packages have long been bereft of quality beaches in the country and we cannot blame people saying the same. Goa, off late though, has seen a lot of private tourism companies managing the fames beaches there. It has bought a sense of accountability and organized behavior when it comes to showcasing the beach prowess of Goa. Candolim has consistently been ranking high in the world rankings for beaches and other sister jewels of Baga and Palolem are the icing on the cake for beach enthusiasts. So the next time you are booking a trip to India, make sure you have a separate section for Goa tour packages engrained in it.