How Not to See India

People always come back from India saying how they 'found themselves' studying Tantric yoga in the foothills of the Himalayas, or with amusing but oh-so-cultural stories of accidentally buying a goat in Kerala.

I found myself too, except it was with a high fever and a drip in my arm after an exhausting two weeks of negotiating the most vast and confusing country I've ever visited. 

My friend Nadia and I had studied Indian history together, and decided to go and check out the country itself before returning to do our final university exams. We felt like we deserved a break.

Here's a tip. Do not go to India for a break. North India, at least, is a part of the world that needs all your resources, energy and skill. You should expect to go energized and come back tired. Not the other way around.

Our problem was that we went about India all the wrong way. So here's a guide to the don'ts of travelling the great sub-continent. Avoid all the things I did, and you'll probably have a great time : )