India occupies a unique place in British colonial history. Unlike other colonies, India was typically a temporary station, where one might spend a few years but not a lifetime. Hence, while a colonist in Australia or Canada might come to think of himself as "Australian" or "Canadian," a British colonist in India remained fundamentally "British." From a traveler's perspective, India was an exotic country that nonetheless possessed the flavor of home. Thought it offered many discomforts, colonial towns also provided a host of Western amenities, so the Victorian tourist was more likely to visit India than any other colony. This section looks at travel and life in India from the perspective of colonists, tourists and missionaries. See Life, Customs & Culture for articles about native life in India.

Indian Table Attendants (Leisure Hour, 1860)

Missionary Itineration in India (Leisure Hour, 1860)

A look at methods of conveyance in India.

My Indian Bedroom and Valet (Leisure Hour, 1860)

The Times Reporter in India (Leisure Hour, 1860)

Travellers' Bungalow (Leisure Hour, 1860)

Travel accommodations in India.

Travelling in India (Leisure Hour, 1860)

Up the Hooghly (Leisure Hour, 1860)

An Englishwoman Among the Himalayas (Harper's Monthly, 1876B)

A travel account charmingly illustrated by the author.

How a Lady Passes Her Day in India (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1876)

Early rising is essential in order to accomplish one's tasks and errands before the impossible heat of the day sets in!

A Day of My Life in India (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1880)

"Never while in India neglect a morning outing of some sort. Either ride, drive, or walk every morning before the sun is up, for then is the only time you will able to breathe really fresh air--or, as the natives express it, 'eat the wind'."

The Railway to Candahar, by Eliza Clarke (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1880)

Off to the Hills of India (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1881)

Girls' Work in the Mission Field, by Mary Selwood (Girl's Own Paper, 1882)

A look at life in India and China, and "how we favoured Englishwomen can help these poor unhappy sisters of ours" in each country.

Discipline Must Be Maintained (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1883)

Anecdotes of life in India.

Home Life in Bengal (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1884)

Medical Women for India, by Frances Hoggan, MD (Girl's Own Paper, 1884)

On the need for female doctors, and training for women in medicine, in India, where most women were precluded from visiting male doctors. Interesting sidelight on the evolution of medical training for women in general.

[Goa] A Dead Portuguese City in India, by the Rev. John F. Hurst (Harper's Monthly, 1887B)

Overland from India, by Sir Donald MacKenzie Wallace (English Illustrated Magazine, 1890A)

Traveling overland and by water from Bombay to Tehran, and finally to the Transcaspian Railway.

Nepaul, the Land of the Goorkhas, by Henry Ballantine (Harper's Monthly, 1889A)

A Day in the "Rains" in Assam (Girl's Own Paper, 1891)

English Writers in India, by the Rev. John F. Hurst, DD (Harper's Monthly, 1891A)

Under the Vultures' Wings, by Julian Ralph (Harper's Monthly, 1889)

A visit to Bombay and an account of a plague in that city, along with a look at the Parsi "towers of silence" (funeral towers).

Lady Dufferin and the Women of India (The Strand, 1891B)

On the need for "lady doctors" in India, where women were not permitted to visit male doctors.

Cloudland (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1892)

Views from the Himalayas.

My Tiger: A Girl's Story of India, by Ascott Hope (Girl's Own Paper, 1894)

It's not quite clear whether this is fiction or an actual experience.

The India Office, by Robert Machray (Windsor Magazine, 1900B)

A Lady's Adventures in Unknown India/In the Himalayas with a Rifle, by Isabel Savory (Lady's Realm, 1901)

Greater Britain: A Birds-Eye View, by the Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, MP, Secretary of State for the Colonies (Good Words, 1902)

This 45-page overview of the status of Britain's colonies looks at the past history of colonial administration, the present, and plans for the future. It then takes the reader on a tour of the colonies of India, Ceylon, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Lots of photos!

The Viceregal Rule of India, by Sir Edwin Arnold (Windsor Magazine, 1903A)

"I am here to speak of the high office, and splendid but onerous duties, of Indian Viceroy."

• See also India - Life, Customs & Culture