India is worth it. I was told South India is easier and that's where I went. I was in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Mysore, Kerala, Pondicherry and Chennai. Out of this, I liked the smaller places Mysore, Fort Cochin and the Kerala backwater boat trip, and Pondicherry. Mysore is particularly wonderful, everything India is in your mind is to be found in Mysore and on a scale that is more easily accessible. Both Mysore and Pondicherry have ashram centers nearby. Bangalore is easy to fly into, then a 2-1/2 hour train ride to Mysore. Trains are such a part of India's fabric and history, if you don't take a train or see a train station, you don't "get" India at all. We also did an overnight train to Hyderabad, nothing wrong with the First Class Air Conditioned train cabins but bring your own food. (First Class AC is a higher class than just First Class and you will want the best possible on an Indian train). One thing to consider is what time the train arrives, since it was pretty scary at the Hyderabad train station at 3 AM. In the smaller places, we really enjoyed staying in local hotels that had been coverted from grand homes. In the large cities, we stayed in Sheratons on points, which are grand hotels in India, far fancier than US Sheratons. The best food I had were the thalis at busy local places, a version of our lunch plate special served on stainless steel platters. Use a straw to drink from bottled drinks. The newspapers are a cultural exploration every day, highly entertaining and a real insight into India.