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India
This guidebook includes the low-down on what makes India tick, politically and economically, and a 32 page colour section "Sacred India", highlighting the country's religious diversity.
1264 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
December 27, 2008
The drawback of following Lonely Planet's advice is that every other tourist is doing the same thing. Wherever you go, there's whitey with a thick-ass lonely planet in hand, figuring out what to do next. The drawback to Lonely Planet's India guidebook is that the country is just way to big for a single book to be of any real use. In all 1,200 pages each town only gets a cursory amount of information. In practice, there were some good hits—like the Institute for the Development of Musical Instruments in Chennai—but I found a lot of stuff to be pretty inaccurate (like guesthouse prices and train schedules) and putting a shine on some stuff that was really mediocre (like Kolkata's museums). If you want a really amazing guidebook to India—one that's far more accurate—read The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. Then go there.
May 18, 2010
the 1982 edition
February 7, 2017
This was our Bible during our 8-month stay in India. Only once has it let us down - when it recommended a sort-of traditional, sort-of uber modern healthy eatery in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, where everything was served on a palm leaf. It looked pretty, tasted like dirt and included tree bark as one of the hors d'oeuvres. Lesson learnt: only eat from the grubbiest, most miserable-looking holes-in-the-wall. Everything else is a (disgusting) tourist trap.
December 15, 2014
There still is no substitute for a good LP guide when I am going to visit a new place - not Trip Advisor or other websites, and no other guidebook I have come across. It is important to mention that LP is oriented toward a certain kind of traveller - a backpacker, or tourist who is looking to have authentic experiences of foreign lands while paying modest prices - someone like myself. There is however enough solid info in their books for people on group tours or who want to have a certain level of comfort. I am a fan, and have been for a while.
Having said that, I am not sure I would purchase this book again. India is big and complex, and the 1200 page book required to provide a good overview of it was not handy for my daypack. I do see that there are books for north and south India, and there is something called Discover India also - those might be more practical. But as an overview of the whole country, and one with useful sections and maps for a wide range of locales, it is hard to imagine the job being done better. I read the 150 page India Today section at the back of the book, the introductory segments at the front, and the pieces on the areas I visited, and all were clear, useful, and thoughtfully put together. Still, none of it prepared me for the swarming streets, the vivid colors, the traditional cultures, the gastric distress (which I was expecting), and the previously unknown diversity that India had in store for me - but I am not sure any book could have done that.
Having said that, I am not sure I would purchase this book again. India is big and complex, and the 1200 page book required to provide a good overview of it was not handy for my daypack. I do see that there are books for north and south India, and there is something called Discover India also - those might be more practical. But as an overview of the whole country, and one with useful sections and maps for a wide range of locales, it is hard to imagine the job being done better. I read the 150 page India Today section at the back of the book, the introductory segments at the front, and the pieces on the areas I visited, and all were clear, useful, and thoughtfully put together. Still, none of it prepared me for the swarming streets, the vivid colors, the traditional cultures, the gastric distress (which I was expecting), and the previously unknown diversity that India had in store for me - but I am not sure any book could have done that.
May 13, 2025
I got rid of carrying this brick only 4 months into my year long trip across India because although it’s the latest edition that was just released in December and arrived only days before I left on my trip, it’s become clear nobody has vetted the info in who knows how long. The must do recommended visit in Chennai of the Theosophical Society? Been closed for 4 years to the public. Dozens of restaurants and hotels suggested in the book are shut down, sometimes for years now. What’s the point? I don’t need a guide book to just tell me what I can easily learn from a quick google search now. Should have saved my money and the previous weight & space in my backpack from the start. Lonely planet is not like it used to be and sadly my conclusion is it absolutely irrelevant and provides no inside travelling info now.
July 6, 2014
Though not as good as some of the other lonely planet guides, useful nontheless.
The budget options were useless.
It seems that once the hotel, restaurant etc get into lonely planet, bussiness is guaranteed and complacency and price discrepencies ensue.
My advice: Use as a rough rough guide; photocopy and cross reference if you need to but live your OWN journey not the guide books!
The budget options were useless.
It seems that once the hotel, restaurant etc get into lonely planet, bussiness is guaranteed and complacency and price discrepencies ensue.
My advice: Use as a rough rough guide; photocopy and cross reference if you need to but live your OWN journey not the guide books!
February 28, 2025
Why am I 1.5 years into full time travel and JUST now starting to read travel guides? 😂 Can't say I'd recommend this as a fun read, but if you are planning a trip to India this is what you need to get prepared. I read it just about everyday here and use it to plan where we go next. Definitely going to read lonely planet before each country we visit now.
May 22, 2018
“Villages in Rajasthan specialise in embroidery with tiny mirrors: like jewellery for your clothes.”
This is a really good guide to India but I had massive expectations from the Lonely Planet franchise and it fell short at points. However India is massive and creating a comprehensive guide of the whole country is impossible. What you end up with is the Lonely Planet guide.
It contains short list in each area of places to stay, places to eat, things to do and sometimes a short paragraph of culture or/and history. Sometimes it seems the various writers put too much of a personal emphasis on places, as if there wasn’t much to do in a city or place just because they didn’t like it- I travelled in a group in some places in the north of India and we arrived in a city or two and realised there wasn’t much about it in the guide or we loved a museum and found it didn’t get much of a say. Also you’ll also see (if you travel to parts of Northern India, which I really recommend) that shops have realised that Lonely Planet is a popular, trustworthy guide and nearly all will have a sign saying recommended by Lonely Planet even if that isn’t true.
Although, don’t get me wrong it was super useful when I was living in the south and looking for things to do on the weekend or traveling the north and looking up the basic information and price on things, especially when internet isn’t easy to access everywhere. My parents always recommended Lonely Planet from their time travelling but it’s a good twenty years later and there are definitely a lot more guides out there to suit your individual journey to India. So whilst Lonely Planet India is a solid guide to cover the whole of India I suggest researching into what sort of guide you’ll need, is there one for just the places you’re going? Is there one that’s perfect for backpackers, short stays, holidays or families? If not though you’ll be secure in the knowledge that this is still a wonderfully useful guide.
Lastly, let me warn you if you want to go for the paperback version it’s bigger than a brick and you don’t want to be struggling with shoving that in you back pack constantly. It’s had to ‘flick’ through the Kindle version but it takes up less space and if you have the kindle app on your phone or tablet then you can click onto google map links which can be so useful. Don’t forget that the book is massive so making your way through the electronic copy to find a small paragraph can suck but I guess that’s similar to a paperback and its especially worth it when you can borrow it free on Kindle Unlimited.
I suggest getting the more focused guides if you’re not travelling the whole of India and I strongly recommend checking out other guides, blogs and websites when it comes to planning your journey, how to get a visa and general tips so you can get a real cross range of opinions and ideas. Otherwise the guide is a solid four stars.
This is a really good guide to India but I had massive expectations from the Lonely Planet franchise and it fell short at points. However India is massive and creating a comprehensive guide of the whole country is impossible. What you end up with is the Lonely Planet guide.
It contains short list in each area of places to stay, places to eat, things to do and sometimes a short paragraph of culture or/and history. Sometimes it seems the various writers put too much of a personal emphasis on places, as if there wasn’t much to do in a city or place just because they didn’t like it- I travelled in a group in some places in the north of India and we arrived in a city or two and realised there wasn’t much about it in the guide or we loved a museum and found it didn’t get much of a say. Also you’ll also see (if you travel to parts of Northern India, which I really recommend) that shops have realised that Lonely Planet is a popular, trustworthy guide and nearly all will have a sign saying recommended by Lonely Planet even if that isn’t true.
Although, don’t get me wrong it was super useful when I was living in the south and looking for things to do on the weekend or traveling the north and looking up the basic information and price on things, especially when internet isn’t easy to access everywhere. My parents always recommended Lonely Planet from their time travelling but it’s a good twenty years later and there are definitely a lot more guides out there to suit your individual journey to India. So whilst Lonely Planet India is a solid guide to cover the whole of India I suggest researching into what sort of guide you’ll need, is there one for just the places you’re going? Is there one that’s perfect for backpackers, short stays, holidays or families? If not though you’ll be secure in the knowledge that this is still a wonderfully useful guide.
Lastly, let me warn you if you want to go for the paperback version it’s bigger than a brick and you don’t want to be struggling with shoving that in you back pack constantly. It’s had to ‘flick’ through the Kindle version but it takes up less space and if you have the kindle app on your phone or tablet then you can click onto google map links which can be so useful. Don’t forget that the book is massive so making your way through the electronic copy to find a small paragraph can suck but I guess that’s similar to a paperback and its especially worth it when you can borrow it free on Kindle Unlimited.
I suggest getting the more focused guides if you’re not travelling the whole of India and I strongly recommend checking out other guides, blogs and websites when it comes to planning your journey, how to get a visa and general tips so you can get a real cross range of opinions and ideas. Otherwise the guide is a solid four stars.
February 11, 2012
We used the Kindle version of this travelling around the Golden Triangle, Rajasthan, Goa and Kerala. It's the current 14th edition published in Oct 2011.
Good things:
- approximately a third of the cost of the paperback in New Zealand
- significantly lighter and smaller
- hot-linking from the map key to the text descriptions
- enjoyable contextual information and history of India
- the usual excellent travel advice (though we found Delhi and Jodhpur sections were often inaccurate in terms of places, locations and prices - strange given 4 months since publication)
Bad things:
- paging through the maps, to the key and back again to figure out where things are
- being less keen to leave it on the beach while you go swim, compared with a book
- inaccurate map distances (often a lot further than the map suggests)
- using Kindle in public
Overall, the book was the usual LP experience. A help and a hindrance at the same time but generally worth it. Though there are many positives for the kindle version I think I'll stick to a paper copy when next travelling. It's easier to bruise and abuse!
Good things:
- approximately a third of the cost of the paperback in New Zealand
- significantly lighter and smaller
- hot-linking from the map key to the text descriptions
- enjoyable contextual information and history of India
- the usual excellent travel advice (though we found Delhi and Jodhpur sections were often inaccurate in terms of places, locations and prices - strange given 4 months since publication)
Bad things:
- paging through the maps, to the key and back again to figure out where things are
- being less keen to leave it on the beach while you go swim, compared with a book
- inaccurate map distances (often a lot further than the map suggests)
- using Kindle in public
Overall, the book was the usual LP experience. A help and a hindrance at the same time but generally worth it. Though there are many positives for the kindle version I think I'll stick to a paper copy when next travelling. It's easier to bruise and abuse!
January 15, 2009
This is pretty much the bible for travel in India! All the travelers I met on my trip had this guide book in their respective language (which could be skewed because they all went to the same recommended hotels and restaurants that I did, but lets conveniently ignore this fact). I think its a great reference especially for getting lists of hotels that are available, but the accuracy of the reviews vary. With restaurants, its even more hit or miss. Its worth spending some time investigating each place upon arrival and trying to gauge for yourself how good the place is. Even better would be to get suggestions from fellow travelers. Each section has its own distinctive style and taste as it was written by a different author, and as such, has differing levels of reliability.
August 6, 2010
I was recenly in India and used LP once again. The first half of my trip was pre-set as I was attending my friend's wedding in Jaipur so accommodations & events were already planned (thank goodness!!), but for the second half of my trip it was helpful to have the LP guide as it came in handy when looking into hotel, sightseeing, & particularly helpful about cost of things such as tours, how much to tip, etc.
April 26, 2012
Would have been lost without it! Mainly used it to read up on different places and sights and for the maps and the there and away sections. It's such a huge country, they did well to cover so much in one book (huge though it is). If you are going to a specific area of India I would suggest buying the version specific to that area - it will be lighter to carry and have more detailed info on the places.
November 17, 2014
People who say to do it without the guidebook are either incredibly brave or flat out crazy! I couldn't have tackled India without this on a first visit! Yes there are occasional inaccuracies but India is a very difficult country to pin down. It opened up the country for me and made it, if not easy, much more accessible! I just have such admiration for all those who work on the book.
September 16, 2007
I am going to have to write Lonely Planet. Some of the information is just too loose to even follow. People thought I was crazy when I was asking for the addresses listed. Some of the hotel reviews were completely incorrect, but overall incredibly helpful as a primer into each city we visited.
December 23, 2012
I've used Lonely Planet for everywhere I've traveled, and so far I don't think you can go wrong their travel guides. I'm looking forward to putting this knowledge to good use in India early next year.
April 18, 2007
it saved my life a few times.
Want to read
July 21, 2007sitting by my bed...probably will eventually read it on a plane to mumbai (i hope!)
Read
May 28, 2008Can't wait to see if this book is accurate!
August 14, 2008
Lonely Planet Books are indispensable, I just wish they were better at referencing the map in the text, and the page ref from the map key.
October 17, 2008
Very comprehensive guide to travelling in India with some great ideas of places to go and general tips.
I'm very excited about my planned trip!
I'm very excited about my planned trip!
February 3, 2010
Not the cover we have... not sure what edition I'm using.
Just too big to carry with you when traveling, a good base to work from though.
Just too big to carry with you when traveling, a good base to work from though.
December 10, 2010
Lonely Planet does it again. Keep up the good work LP.
October 23, 2010
I’ve travelled to a number of places in India over the years and I have found this book a valuable resource.
November 10, 2010
This was our bible while in India.
Read
August 11, 2011I went there in 2004, back when it was hard to look lots of things online and the older edition of this book was super helpful.
March 8, 2012
I haven't read whole book but only parts about places I was visiting in Feb/March and it was quite useful.
July 29, 2012
my bible to India. Loved it, appreciated it.
Read
March 20, 2013Was great for my travel needs
December 30, 2013
A great comprehensive guide to India! It also has a significant amount of detail on individual cities, from history to recommended specific tourist attractions.
July 6, 2014
Fantastic. Comprehensive, but portable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews