World Heritage Site

So I have just returned from my best India trip ever! I stayed energetic til the end and could have easily extended it by a week or so if the visa had allowed me to. I managed to visit 15 new WHS; I had already visited 24 across my 4 previous trips so I am missing just 4 now to complete India. The itinerary can be found here. Bear in mind with the tips below that I visited mostly state-level places of interest, and not the more foreign-touristy parts such as the Golden Triangle (where you'll definitely encounter more touts).

1. Fly!

43 WHS, 28 States – where to start? Even after 4 previous trips I still had (and have) so much of India to cover. I suggest keeping it to one state at a time for a “normal” traveller on a 2-3 week trip. For a WH Traveller who wants to raise his/her score, it’s best to combine several clusters. I made good use of the domestic flight network of IndiGo, which connects most state capitals and other major hubs. For a mere 75 EUR or so you’ll find yourself in the middle of the next cluster to tackle 1200km away. Still, you should have at least a broad focus like North, South, West, or East.

2. Anything can and will be arranged

Sometimes travel agencies and hotels in India seem lacking in customer service as they do not communicate proactively or put themselves in your shoes. But when you ask for something (I think that’s the clue, they wait for your initiative as they all mold it against your wishes): anything can be arranged. Look for example at the endeavours of Shandos in her review of the Western Ghats or the logistics of my Sundarbans visit. Want to go to that remote archaeological site tomorrow? Leave 5 a.m.? A driver will be waiting for you, ma’am. 

3. Digitalization is only half-way

I guess it’s a love for detailed forms and abundant cheap labour that holds India back in its digitalization efforts. Train tickets can be booked online easily (I used 12go) and that system works flawlessly. But for site entrance tickets it’s hit or miss. Of the 15 WHS on my trip, 2 were digital tickets only (Moidams, Keshava Hoysala Temple), some accepted both cash and online tickets, others were cash-only and those accepting foreign credit cards are rare.

I’d suggest pre-booking tickets a few days beforehand – look at the ASI booking website for which sites tickets are available. Not because they will sell out, but because you don’t want to fill in a detailed form on your phone at a site entrance or have to accost Indian passers-by to acquire a ticket for you with their digital payment setup. The booking website only accepted my American Express credit card, by the way. It’s also annoying that you have to choose between a morning and afternoon visit (who cares?), especially when you guess you’re arriving around noon…

4. Bring your own notes

Most of the 11 cultural WHS that I visited are managed by the ASI, the Archeological Survey of India. You will immediately recognize arriving at an ASI site: there’s a fence, a guard, a manicured lawn and some flower beds surrounding the monument. I think the ASI employs more gardeners than archeologists or site interpreters. However, the Indian sites lack modern site museums (which China and Turkey do so well) and even overall explanations about what you see. Maybe they are trying to protect the livelihood of the elderly guides who will approach you at the entrance.

Considering the high visitor numbers of all Indian WHS, they can’t get away with a simple hand-painted general introduction anymore in 2024 like the one I found at Nalanda (photo below, and no, the QR code didn’t add anything). So bring along your homework!

5. Try to avoid hitting that tipping point

On my previous trips to India, I always had a moment, after 2-3 weeks, where I was ready to hit/yell at/kill someone, particularly an Indian with behaviour that irritated me (the 10th person to ask for a selfie that day, the beggar, the clueless clerk). I managed to avoid that tipping point this time as (1) travelling in India has become more comfortable than in the past, with strong infrastructure improvements and plenty of nice clean coffee shops, restaurants and hotels where you can hide away for a while, and (2) I had a rather calm and balanced itinerary, mixing 3* and 4* hotels, flights instead of overnight trains or buses, and no over-ambitious add-ons. So overall I felt more relaxed and didn’t have to hit it out on somebody else (as really, the source of this is you and not them).

Pictures with this post show (1) the Rang Ghar pavilion in Sivsagar, a site that should have been included with the Moidams, (2) the Nandi in Kakatiya-style at the Ramappa Temple, and (3) the main interpretative sign at Nalanda.