1) They say the clothes maketh the man, and in India, especially if you are a woman or are straying from the tourist trail, choosing modest clothes will certainly make your trip easier. Indian clothes will not only look beautiful, but protect you from dust, insects, impertinent stares and the sun

2) Most of India is hot most of the time, and the tap water is best avoided. Apart from the environmental impact — which is hard to avoid — the cost of bottled water can really add up. Hotels seem to make a fair profit on bottled water as even the budget joints jack up the price by 50% or more. While we were staying at a cheap and cheerful place near the magical Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, we bought bottles for five rupees at the local shop down the road, whereas our guest house was charging 20. The classier hotels charge 50 rupees and more.

3) Unless you are on really tight budget, mix in one or two nights in a top-notch hotel. India does luxury so well and if you find a place that charges in rupees, it will be excellent value. After nights staying in fairly basic guest houses and sleeper trains, we splurged on a few nights in a converted 15th-century fort, The Neemrana Fort Palace Hotel, for 4,000 rupees a night. Just remember: don’t get too comfortable.