Fascinating and thrilling; India will be even more astounding for children than for their wide-eyed parents. The scents, sights, and sounds of India will make for an unforgettable adventure and one that most kids will take in their stride.
Vibrant festivals, medieval forts, fairy-tale palaces, camel rides across desert dunes and a well-oiled tourist infrastructure for hassle-free travel. For older kids there's the thrill of the incredible Flying Fox (zip wires) at Jodhpur.
Palm-fringed, white-sand beaches and inexpensive exotic food; an ideal choice for family holidays, whatever the budget.
The picture-perfect Taj Mahal and the nearby abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri will set young imaginations ablaze.
Canoe and houseboat adventures, surf beaches, Arabian Sea sunsets, snake boat races, wildlife-spotting and elephant festivals.
Pony and yak rides around colonial-era hill stations, rafting, horse riding, tandem paragliding (kids can do it), walks and canyoning around Manali.
Travel with children in India is usually a delight, though you (and your kids) may have to get used to being the centre of attention. Locals will thrill at taking a photograph or two beside your bouncing baby. This may prove tiring and disconcerting, but you can always politely decline.
As a parent on the road in India, the key is to remain firm, even if you feel you may offend a well-meaning local by doing so. The attention your children will inevitably receive is almost always good-natured; kids are the centre of life in many Indian households, and your own will be treated just the same. Hotels will almost always come up with an extra bed or two, and restaurants with a familiar meal.
You can get these items in many parts of India too:
- Disposable or washable nappies, nappy rash cream (Calendula cream works well against heat rash too), extra bottles, wet wipes, infant formula and canned, bottled or rehydratable food.
- A fold-up baby bed or the lightest possible travel cot you can find (companies such as KidCo make excellent pop-up tent-style beds), since hotel cots may prove precarious. Don't take a stroller/pushchair, as this will be impractical to use as pavements are often scarce. A much better option is a backpack, for smaller kids, so they're lifted up and out of the daunting throng, plus with a superb view.
- A few less-precious toys that won’t be mourned if lost or damaged.
- A swimming jacket, life jacket or water wings for the sea or pool.
- Good sturdy footwear.
- Audiobooks, for whiling away long journeys.
- Insect repellent, mosquito nets, hats and sun lotion.
Palolem, Goa Plump for a beachfront palm-thatched hut and take it easy at beautiful
Palolem beach, with Goa's shallowest, safest waters.
Patnem, Goa Kick back at peaceful
Patnem, with its nice sand beach and cool, calm, child-friendly beach restaurants.
Havelock Island Splash about in the shallows at languid
Havelock Island, part of the Andaman Island chain, where there’s also sensational diving possibilities.
Tiger parks, Madhya Pradesh Delve deep into the jungle or roam the plains at the tiger parks of
Kanha,
Pench or
Bandhavgarh. You might not see a tiger, but there’s plenty of other wildlife worth spotting.
Elephants, Kerala In
Periyar, kids can spot wild elephants.
Dolphins, Goa Splash out on a dolphin-spotting boat trip from almost any Goan beach to see them cavorting among the
waves.
Hill-station monkeys Head up to
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) or
Matheran (Maharashtra) for close (but not too close...they can be vicious!) encounters with cheeky monkeys.
Lions, Gujarat Go on safari through
Gir National Park at dusk or dawn and spot the only Asiatic lions in existence.
Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan Take a bike ride to spot myriad multi-hued birdlife in this
reserve.
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu Visit an
elephant camp where the park’s working elephants (many rescued and unfit to return to the wild) are fed and washed.
Autorickshaw, anywhere Bump thrillingly along at top speed in these child-scale
vehicles.
Bike, Delhi Pedal around on a
DelhiByCycle tour; for older children who are competent riders, or toddlers who can fit in a child seat.
Toy Train, Darjeeling Ride the cute-as-a-button steam toy train between Kurseong and Darjeeling, past colourful mountain villages and rushing
waterfalls.
Hand-pulled rickshaw, Matheran From this monkey-infested hill station, you can continue to the village on horseback or in a hand-pulled
rickshaw.
Houseboat, Alappuzha (Alleppey) Go boating on Kerala’s beautiful
backwaters, with lots of interesting stops en route. If you hit town on the second Saturday in August, take the kids along to see the spectacular Nehru Trophy boat race.
Jaisalmer Enjoy playing knights around the world's biggest sandcastle, Jaisalmer’s centuries-old
fort, and take a camel ride in the Thar Desert.
Ranthambhore National Park Step into a
Jungle Book world, home to a monkey kingdom, and hop aboard a jeep to scout for Shere Khan.
Udaipur Go boating on the
lake, take a horse-riding excursion, and explore fairy-tale palaces.
Orchha Wander the crumbling palaces and battlements of little-known
Orchha.
