Enjoying India: The Essential Handbook [Paperback]

J D Viharini (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 31, 2010

Enjoying India is the ultimate how-and-why guide for foreigners that fills the gaps left by traditional guidebooks-practical and cultural information no visitor or expat can afford to be without.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

J.D. Viharini is a single woman who has lived and traveled alone extensively in India. With the help of fellow travelers that she has met over the years, she has learned that it's essential to travel smart and to function in harmony with the local culture. For her, living and traveling in India is a great delight. She was born in California, but has spent more than two-thirds of her life in other states and other countries. Having earned an MS in Vedic Studies in Europe, she came to India in 1980 and loved it immediately, though she had to wait a few years for her next visit. She has been living in India for several years, and has traveled extensively throughout the country. Although she has an apartment in the foothills of the Himalayas that's her home base, she tends to move around India with the seasons. At one time or another, she's spent time in nearly every part of India except the Northeast. Over the years, she has traveled around India first class, sardine class, and everything in between. From the Ritz to the pits, so to speak, she has stayed and dined in some of the most exclusive places in India and some of the least. She has stayed with families and attended their celebrations. She has rented apartments and learned how to contend with all that living here entails. She has experienced the intense, seething crowds of the Kumbha Mela and the serenity of the sparsely populated, high Himalayas. She has gone on pilgrimages and done business. She has been sick and learned how to stay well. She has made many friends (and perhaps a few enemies).

Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: Tara Satara Press (May 31, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0981950302
• ISBN-13: 978-0981950303
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Travel > Asia > India

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must buy for anyone who has anything to do with India, June 18, 2010

By 

Satyanarayana Pamarty (Chennai, India) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Enjoying India: The Essential Handbook (Paperback)

Being an Indian myself, I can tell you that this book is an authentic account about India. It is obvious that the author is someone who has lived and traveled in India over a long period of time. India is such a vast country that it is difficult for even Indians to gain such a depth of knowledge about the country as this author has achieved.

From the insights that the book oozes, it is evident that the author has travelled the breadth and height of India. I have read a few other accounts about India by westerners and was always disappointed by the superficial nature of those books and observations.

However, this book was a surprise. With a very humorous point of view, it was thoroughly enjoyable and I read it in almost one sitting. It is a must for anyone to carry and read if they are visiting India even for a brief time. This book prepares you for the surprises that await here.

The author's observations are presented without bias and prejudice. It was an open minded thesis that delved deep into the psyche of the Indian phenomenon. This is obviously an effort that should have spanned several years of unrelenting research and observation.

Whatever it is, this certainly is not anything that falls under the genre of books that typically stereotype India. It looks beyond the usual shocking point of view of India as a country of elephants and tigers. This book is about the real contemporary India and about real Indians.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in India. I also commend and thank the author for an unbiased view of my country that I so love.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to Know India, July 18, 2010

By 

K. Sands (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Enjoying India: The Essential Handbook (Paperback)

Enjoying India - A Traveler's Handbook

An Indian tour guide once said that to really get to know and appreciate India one must live amongst its' people experiencing how they live their daily lives - walk amongst the crowded streets, shop at the local markets, visit the temples, and completely immerse oneself by living firsthand as an Indian does. Only then will one be able to truly understand and appreciate the people,the country and the culture.

Ms. Viharini's new book Enjoying India - A Traveler's Handbook is clearly written by someone who has done just that! Hence it serves as the perfect companion for any foreigner's sojourn throughout the country. In fact, I would strongly encourage anyone contemplating a trip to India to read it before leaving home and familiarize oneself with all the numerous topics covered then use it as a resource book throughout one's travels. You will quickly realize how Ms Viharini has very extensively covered everything that you might encounter on your travels e.g., preparation & arrival; cultural differences; numerous ways to get around India; safety & security to cite just a few.

Of all the hundreds of books on India, I find there is none that is a clearly "how to" book like Ms. Viharini's. Traveling with a copy of this book on your next trip to India can only enhance your experience. It is so comprehensive that a traveler would be truly lost without it.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Travel Book on India, June 13, 2010

By 

Thomas Egenes "tegenes" (Fairfield, Iowa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Enjoying India: The Essential Handbook (Paperback)

This is my favorite travel book on the market for India. Every page is worth reading, as the author obviously has years of experience traveling in India. If you are planning to go to India, this is the top book on the market. Take it with you -- you'll find that the advice given is like having your own personal guide, telling you things that you may have never thought about. I fully recommend this book!