Homesickness will hit everyone, eventually. There have been days when I’ve wished I was back home in my comfy bed and not on a rock hard mattress in India, even when I knew it would be raining at home, while in India I was surrounded by sunshine and coconut palms.
When you feel low, when India gets to you, when you’re in the middle of your first culture shock in India or when all the travelling is starting to wear you down, the good thing is that it is very easy and cheap to pamper yourself in India. So spoil yourself and cheer yourself up by indulging in some luxury in India: it is much more affordable than back home.
Get a Beauty Treatment
With the typical cost of a coconut oil head massage at Rs150 (just over US$3.00), and the price for a pedicure averaging on less than five dollars, you can afford to spoil yourself in the local beauty parlour in India, even if you never do these things at home. I’m not big on beauty treatments, but with a pedicure costing less than a cappuccino back home, I have treated myself to the occasional beauty treatment in India just because it is so cheap. Check out your local beauty parlours and get recommendations from locals or other travellers, and book yourself into the cheapest pedicure/manicure/facial you’ve had in your life.
Escape into an Ayurvedic Spa
When it all gets too much and you’ve had enough of bedbugs and bucket showers, book yourself into an Ayurvedic spa and get pampered.
Try the Indus Valley Ayurvedic Centre (IVAC) in Mysore: they offer a range of residential treatment packages, or you can book just a massage or beauty treatment and visit for a few hours. They have been known to come and pick you up from wherever you are in Mysore (although do confirm details when booking).
Spoil Yourself with a 5-Star Dinner
Even if you travel on a shoestring budget (or maybe especially when you travel on a shoestring budget), spend a little extra sometimes to treat yourself to a nice dinner. After a few months of cheap traveller food, a trip to a fancy restaurant can cheer you up a lot, and a five star meal costs a lot less in India than back home.
If you happen to be in Udaipur, try the Lake Palace (but book in advance and be willing to spend some money). In Bangalore, the Leela Palace comes recommended by many of my friends from Mysore who used to stop in the Leela for breakfast on the way to or from the airport, when the hotel was conveniently located close to the old airport. Some still make a detour to the Leela just for the breakfast pastries.
Eat Chocolate Cake
There are few things that chocolate cake cannot remedy, or at least make a little bit less overwhelming. Most major Indian cities now have a Coffee Day or a Barista and both are excellent places for a coffee and a cake.
In Coffee Day, my all-time favourite is the Chocolate Fantasy Cake (around Rs50 for a piece). For best results, get a scoop of ice cream on the side. In Barista, try the Swiss Mocha Frappe, especially if the weather is hot.
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