And it’s not just all bindis and backpacks…

Topped and tailed by snow-capped mountains and dense coconut groves, India is a land of extremes; and for women travelling alone it can be a daunting destination.

Telling it like it is, A girls' guide to India, a survivor's handbook reveals to the female backpacker what she really needs to know. Because while lads can hoist on a rucksack containing a spare pair of pants and some ageing flip-flops without worrying about personal safety, hygiene or unwanted offers of 'jiggy jiggy', a girl about to explore the sub continent will have a long list of questions that men rarely need to ask.

In an A-Z of essential topics find out what to put in your backpack, the intricacies of train travel, the second use of a mosquito net, and how to navigate the Indian toilet system without public humiliation.

With a combination of hard advice, humorous travelogue and memories from women who have all experienced the India trail, A girls’ guide to India, a survivor’s handbook is more than a useful set of tips for that upcoming trip or gap year; it’s also a fun ride down memory lane for seasoned travellers who are longing to return.