Cooee Tours
The Taj Mahal at dawn

India Journal

The regions, the palaces, the river, the tigers and the questions before you book.

The India journal is where the planning starts: which region first, how slowly, what a palace night costs, and how to stay well. Read here, then move to the things-to-do and tours pages.

Articles

India travel guide

The practical foundation: the four regions, the seasons, the e-Visa, the trains, the palace hotels, the cuisines and the itineraries.

  • Start here
  • Four regions
  • Updated 2026

India and South Asia guide

India against Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives: the monsoon, the costs, health honestly, and the routes we build most.

  • Regional context
  • Health honestly
  • Golden Triangle 8 days

Asia temples and heritage

The Taj, Varanasi, Hampi, Khajuraho, Ellora and Ajanta among the twenty great sites, with the hour and the rules for each.

  • The Taj at sunrise
  • Varanasi’s rules
  • Guides

Asia itineraries

The Golden Triangle in 8, Rajasthan in 14, Kerala in 12, the north in depth in 21, and India with Sri Lanka in 3 weeks, with night-counts.

  • Night-counts
  • Driver throughout
  • Palace nights
Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, a garden palace hotel
The palace hotels: the article that explains why a Rajasthan night costs what it costs.

Why a India journal

India is the country Australians ask the most questions about and the one where a good article prevents the most mistakes: how to see the Taj without the queue, whether Rajasthan or Kerala first, what a palace night actually costs, how the trains work, how to stay well, and how to do Varanasi. The journal answers those, then sends you to the things to do page to choose a region and the tours page to book. The India-specific articles are being written; the four above are the Asia-level guides with the India sections and are the foundation.

Old Delhi bazaar at Chandni Chowk
Delhi by rickshaw: the first morning of most Indian trips.

What we are writing next

The Golden Triangle in eight days · Rajasthan’s palace hotels, honestly priced · Kerala in twelve days · How to do Varanasi · India’s trains for visitors · Tiger safaris: which park, which month · Ladakh in summer · Goa beyond the beach · Staying well in India · India with older parents · What two weeks in India costs · The e-Visa, step by step.

Kerala backwaters houseboat
Kerala: the India for people who are not sure about India.
Goa beach at sunset with palms
Goa: the beach and the Portuguese churches.

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