Destination: India
Book: Wanderlust and Lipstick: For Women Traveling to India by Beth Whitman
Let me start right off by saying that I think Beth Whitman is a gift to women who want adventurous travel in all those places that good little girls are not supposed to go–particularly by themselves, or with only the protection of (gasp!) other women.
Her books (for women traveling Solo, for women traveling with kids, for women traveling to India) and her web site give inspiration and travel tips to women who travel.
So I was delighted when she joined the cabal of people (they are not really organized, and they don’t know they are a cabal, that’s just the way I think of them) trying to persuade me to go to India. Her persuasion came in the form of a copy of her book,Wanderlust and Lipstick for Women Traveling to India.. This link leads to the Kindle edition, for the print edition, see Beth’s web site. You can read some glowing reviews and one totally ridiculous one that obviously didn’t get the book at all.
If I were to decide to go to India, this is the book I would pack. Beth does not pull any punches in describing the problems that women may encounter, but she shares solutions for every problem you had questions about and some that you had not yet thought of. The help comes in the form of inspiring anecdotes from her own extensive travels in India and from other women who have made that journey.
Many of the helpful hints here would help inexperienced travelers in any country. Other discussions aim straight at unique characteristics of India. And by the way, most of the tips in this book would apply to men as well as women. (except maybe page 153 in the first edition.)
Am I persuaded to travel to India? Well perhaps it has made it on to the list, but it still occupies the bottom rung of that list. Well, dear reader, whose side are you on here? Do you think I’m ridiculous, or are you another one of those who has forever delayed going to India?
Other articles about India: Use the search box on the right. My discussion of the movie Slumdog Millionaire elicited more comment than any other post, and Monica Bhide’s responses–Mumbai I and Mumbai II are very popular.
Thanks for this post – I wasn’t familiar with your blog until I came across this post and it’s brilliant! I’m always looking for travel books and here you are!
I’ve read Beth’s book as well and even reviewed it – I think it’s excellent and one-of-a-kind because of it’s focus on women. Beth is an inspiration to many of us travelers.
Now, that said, India is one of the very few large countries (along with Argentina and Australia) that I haven’t visited yet. In my case, it’s because the country is so huge – I keep waiting to ‘have time to visit properly’. Of course that’s silly. I could easily visit a region at a time and by now I’d have seen the entire country. So I think behind my avoidance lies an impression that India is so huge, so overwhelming, that I’d have to be feeling particularly peaceful to begin what promises to be such an intense trip…
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Awww, gee. Glad you like the Library. I think you really hit the nail on the head–“intense” is probably what scares me off.
so interesting – i love anything put out by beth and wanderlust and lipstick – she’s so great!
india – well, my mom lived there as a teen, when my grandfather had a fulbright there. they took all the kids and lived there for a year! so, that is a place that is well-loved in our family. i am a little worried to go there bc of my disabilities. i know i could work out transportation, etc. but it seems like it would be very difficult. still, i KNOW i’ll get there some day! and, i am sure, with beth’s book in hand. thanks for the great review!
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