Product Description

The Rough Guide to India is the essential handbook to this extraordinary country. The 24 page full-colour introduction includes stunning photography of the country''s many highlights. The guide has comprehensive accounts of every attraction, from fast-paced Delhi and the sacred sites of the Ganges plain to the Moghul splendour of Agra and the shell-sand beaches of the south. There is also practical advice on activities as diverse as boating through the Keralan backwaters, hiking through the high-altitude deserts of Ladakh or treatments at an ayurvedic spa. The listings sections provide hundreds of insider reviews of the best hotels, hostels, restaurants, bars, shops and museums in every city and village. The authors also give an informed insight into India''s history, politics, religion, music and cinema, providing a valuable context to the reader''s trip. 

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #82341 in Books
• Published on: 2005-11-21
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 1480 pages

Customer Reviews

the rough guide hates india
who ever wrote the rough guide to India obviously didnt have a very good time. almost every section is prefaced with "try to get out of this area as soon as possible, but if you have to stay here are some places you can get some bread and coffee." its down on most every city and only has a couple of places it can bring itself to recommend.

i never had any problem with any of the hotel or restaurant information but having that book was like having a whiny friend along who wanted to go home. it became a joke at the end every time we consulted the book on a new city and it had a mopey description.

i left mine on the table at the YMCA in Delhi on purpose.

ps do not eat the dahl at the ymca in delhi.

Rough Guide India
Some of the same complaints that I have for the Lonely Planet Guide except this one was harder to read due to the use of the lighter inks in the text. Information was excellent! Now print a smaller, more detailed version for Rajasthan, Delhi, Agra, Khajuraho and Varanasi. These are the areas that most tourists are traveling to and all the rest is just wasted paper as we tear the books apart for our travels.

Best guidebook for India
This is the best guidebook I know of for India. I used it on my recent trip and found it overall to have excellent, in-depth information, great info for putting things in cultural/historical context, and detailed, accurate maps. In my opinion it blows Lonely Planet out of the water. Several Indian guesthouse owners and the man at the tourist desk in Varanasi (who has worked there for 25 years) told me the same thing, and on the flipside I met not a single person who recommended Lonely Planet over this book. The general consensus about the Rough Guide is that rather than just giving a bunch of listings, it gives really practical information on how to get to places, get things done, get a ticket, avoid scams, and so on, in significantly greater depth than Lonely Planet. But not only is it more practical--it also gives more cultural/historical context, opinion, and descriptive writing. Lonely Planet, on the other hand, seems to have become lazy since they know they will sell a lot of books on name recognition alone. The last time I used Lonely Planet was on a trip to Brazil, and I was so disappointed with it that I vowed never to use them again. However, unlike Lonely Planet, I think you will have a positive experience with this book. A good guidebook is crucial in India because it is such a difficult country to travel in, and I think you won't be disappointed with this one.