Fodor's Essential India: with Delhi, Rajasthan, Mumbai & Kerala (Full-color Travel Guide)

I'm an avid Lonely Planet man but their India book is not up to date like Fodor's. Also, The LP version is a massive tome that serves a definite purpose (like it did for me when traveling to India 23 years ago). This time, however, with the access to internet and other sources, the guide proved very helpful for essential info, like historical landmarks, a quick go-to for a tasty restaurant recommendation and cross referencing hotels found online. we hit the main spots in India but if you want deeper, richer info, use a different book. For us, this was (and is, since we are still in India as I write this!!) perfect!

The Kindle version is hard to navigate. The table Contents shows only a couple of chapters. Then there are no links to navigate up and down the hierarchy of sections. The content itself is not too bad. It is written by Indians. That is bad sometimes. Example: they always mention how delightful food is. If you hate spicy food like me, India is terrible place to visit. Another example: they mention that local eat with the hand, but it is OK if you use fork. They don’t mention how disgusting is to see people eating with their hands.

Lots of useful information.

Not very current. Buy the latest edition. India is changing every day.

If I ever get to India, this Fodor's guide has convinced me to go on a tour or to hire a dedicated tour guide. Almost every page mentions the chaotic, rowdy, raucous, crowded cities, streets and tourist sites. I think I would be overwhelmed if I were to go as an independent traveler, as I usually do. The pushy hawkers and food safety issues would also make me think twice. I'd want to have someone assisting me.The maps included are basic, showing only the major streets and sites, so of course you'd need more detailed information if you traveled on your own. I'm surprised at the few number of photos -- this is not a guide to get you excited about the country. But there is an interesting page that suggests movies and books to see and read before you go. It's not entirely up to date -- they should have mentioned "Lion," about an Indian boy who gets lost and separated from his family, and "Million Dollar Arm," about two Indian boys recruited for American baseball. Not surprisingly, "Passage to India" is not mentioned!

Because I am not as familiar with India, I spent more time at the beginning of "Fodor's Essential India: with Delhi, Rajasthan, Mumbai & Kerala (Full-color Travel Guide)" by Fodor's Travel Guides. It is the more generalized section where the reader gets an overview but I have this tendency to speed past it. This time I took my time and appreciated how much information it offers. It really sets up nicely for when it segues into the more specific areas. Fodor's Travel Guides doesn't have a lot of photos but I appreciate that because it makes it easier to follow and absorb the text. It also helps make the photographs that it does have pop more from the pages. Between this guide and a friend who just came back from a trip to India, my interest in visiting the country has risen.

Essential India is another Fodor’s must read for people like me who love to travel but are intimidated by India. I think this book my delve a little more into the culture than some of the other travel guides and it gave me more of an overview of what to expect as well as where to go.It starts with the India experience: eating, drinking, purchasing, the best temples, shrines, and what to read before you go (this was an excellent though small section). You then get about a dozen pages of how to travel smart. Then the history and culture of India. All of this can be very different than what we, as Americans, may envision we’ll find.Each major city is then addressed with the planning, where to stay, what to do, etc. There are lots of maps, illustrations, color photographs and travel options and dress suggestions.I like these small travel boos because they fit in your luggage, handbag or rucksack and don’t take up much room. Of course, much of what’s in the book can be found on the internet but I’ve always found that connections and/or wifi can be iffy when traveling abroad. With this little book you always have all the information you need right at hand.

This was very helpful for a trip to India. It let me see what most of the cities looked like, and explained much of the culture to me ahead of time so no surprises.It explains cultural traditions, things no Westerner should do, and how to navigate transportation and accomodations simply without being frazzled.On the actual trip, I felt a bit calmer about where I was going. I only got flustered once and we ended up leaving one city early as the crowds got to me (turns out it was holiday time). I met many people there and was more confident knowing each region ahead of time. I've used Fodor's before and this was great. Much better than the Lonely Planet guide.

Details required

Information overload. All of it fabulous!!!!