As most travelers know, India is a riot of sights, sounds, colors and scents. In my opinion, it is one of the most interesting travel destinations in the world, but I had never thought about it as great destination for families. My 14-year old son asked if we could travel there so see tigers in the wild and during the planning of our trip, I discovered how much there is for families to do in India.
Most first-time travelers to India start in Delhi, go to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal and then on to the colorful cities of Rajasthan to see their incredibly ornate places and imposing forts. My son and I followed this itinerary, but also included Ranthambore National Park to see the tigers and a final stop in Mumbai. In addition to the usual sightseeing, we did all kinds of fun activities: a tour of Old Delhi by rickshaw, zip lining in Jodhpur, riding camels on the sand dunes in Jaisalmer, bathing an elephant in Ranthambore and having a cricket lesson in Mumbai. The highlight of course was seeing the tigers. They are not easy to spot, and we had been told there was a good chance we wouldn't see any, but we were thrilled to see four at close range. Coming around a corner and seeing a female tiger regally emerging from a watering hole was something I will never forget.
Traveling to India is a study in contradictions. The hotels there are some of the most luxurious in the world, yet you are in a country that is riddled with poverty. It's impossible to totally avoid these contradictions, but there are some things that travelers can do to get a sense of the real India. My son and I visited Dharavi, the second largest slum in Asia (the setting for the movie Slumdog Millionaire), with a former resident as our guide. A local non-profit sponsors the tours and the profits are used to improve living conditions there.
The best time to visit Northern India is October - March. The other months of the year are either extremely hot and/or rainy.
