Mumbai is notorious for the exorbitant accommodation rentals.
It is really difficult to rent an apartment online in Mumbai.
My suggestion would be to contact any of the listings on the popular rental websites and then ask that agent to show you around. ( Most listings are done by agents).
Once you have a fair idea about the rates, facilities and locations look out on your own to hone on ta suitable accomodation.

I am having the same issues with the same city. The rental sites show cheap places but are hard to use and seem unpredictable. Airbnb flats are too expensive, relative to the ones on rental sites.

Mumbai is notorious for the exorbitant accommodation rentals.
It is really difficult to rent an apartment online in Mumbai.
My suggestion would be to contact any of the listings on the popular rental websites and then ask that agent to show you around. ( Most listings are done by agents).
Once you have a fair idea about the rates, facilities and locations look out on your own to hone on ta suitable accomodation.

I am having the same issues with the same city. The rental sites show cheap places but are hard to use and seem unpredictable. Airbnb flats are too expensive, relative to the ones on rental sites.

Wow! I didn’t realize Goa was becoming a co-working hub. Have you worked in Goa? Do you think there’s a big need for co-working there? If yes, then in which area. Where would you like to work and hang out?

Just collecting some info to understand if I should open one

Okay, I googled and found several
https://www.google.co.in/search?safe=off&rlz=1C1CHBF_enIN766IN766&q=co+working+space+goa&npsic=0&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=15452805,73815220,5296&tbm=lcl&ved=0ahUKEwjfy9O7rpLbAhXHgI8KHZM9AA0QjGoIggE&tbs=lrf:!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:2&rldoc=1#rlfi=hd:;si:;mv:!1m3!1d217896.30416390352!2d73.86986875!3d15.472109099999999!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i497!2i680!4f13.1;tbs:lrf:!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:2

Depends where you go, you might find one in Panjim. At Palolem Beach there is “German Bakery” which usually has good wifi and they don’t mind people working there. I’d recommend a LTE router and battery pack and just sit anywhere at the beach in Palolem though, it’s great.

@natalie1, I haven’t used one. So far, it hasn’t been a problem, even for the desktop that’s my main work environment. I travel too much (and on a motorcycle some of the time) for a voltage stabilizer to be practical; they tend to be extremely heavy. Even on a flight, weight restrictions would probably rule it out for me for local travel inside India.

@foxy96, Sure, depending on where you are. I use Skype / Hangouts for calls every day, and don’t even stop my torrents while doing it, but that’s on a 100mbps fiber line. Skype also works well on my Vodafone 4G connection in major cities (Calcutta, Delhi, Bangalore), but not at all if I’m up in the mountains in Darjeeling where your connectivity is completely hit or miss. In other words, it’ll really depend on where you are when you need to make the call. If you can get most of your work done in major cities, you’ll be fine (same quality as a phone call, or better, and you can video when you need / want to without any problems), but you could be screwed if you’re out in the middle of nowhere and a client has an emergency. I just use regular international calling on my cell phone in situations like that; it doesn’t happen all that often.

Has anyone tried making phone calls to Europe using computer programs in India? Is the connection good enough without interruptions and is there delay in the communication?

Thank you. I got Vodaphone for now as there wasn’t Jio where I got my SIM. I will pick one up from Jio when I can.
I had another question for anyone working in India. Do you all carry voltage stabilizers when you travel? My friend is letting me use his here but when I leave I won’t have one. It seems necessary with all the outages, although the one I’m using is quite heavy and not good for travel. I have a surge protector but it only works for one surge, is that right? The first time the power went out here, even when using the stabilizer, it messed up my computer. It seems okay now, ish. But now I’m afraid to not use a voltage stabilizer anywhere in India. Thanks for any insights.

I am going to india on Monday - my friend told me it would take 4 days to get a SIM card?? Can I get one at the airport if we’re landing after 10 pm at night?

I’ve got a female friend who rents a lovely 2 bedroom place near Anjuna, and has been living there (alone) for a year now. She’s probably the best person to talk to about security stuff for women; let me know when you’re there and I’ll put you in touch with her. I’ve been to Goa a three times now (most recently last year), and I’d say it’s safe for women as long as you’re careful. Unlike almost all of the rest of India, Goa’s a place where you won’t get as many stares or groping attempts or sniggering comments on the street for being in shorts, though guys will still hit on you. Definitely be careful if you’re into the drugs / partying scene, like you’d be anywhere else in the world. Tourists (including ones from out of state) also get ripped off a lot or get scammed for things (car rentals where the car owner suddenly insists you’ve broken something random in his car and wants an exorbitant amount, for example). But this isn’t specific to Goa.

One of my female friends (Indian) and two of her female friends (Australian) recently spend a few months partying, relaxing, and traveling through Goa and Pushkar, and absolutely loved it. I’m leaning more toward the mountains these days, but Goa’s worth doing.

I traveled India in 2015 for 6 months and moved around a lot. Coverage was pretty unreliable. I agree with the comments about the following:
1)going to a proper Vodafone/Airtel shop to be registered to ensure your SIM doesnt expire. I’d make the effort to do both as some providers are better in other areas.
2)Streaming/Video calls are going to be a challenge, but you’ll get by with basic things.
3) The Jio option sounds new and interesting, but my experience is new players in a markets usually start off their coverage in big cities, so its possible that outside of them it wont be great.

I lived in Varkala in Kerala for 6 weeks, the wifi at restaurants was hopeless and my own SIMS also didnt well when along the main strips, but a bit further back inland was significantly better, just do your speedtests when deciding on accommodation.

Jio is a new mobile network started last year. It’s 4G-only and has been priced so cheaply that all other network providers have been forced to slash their prices too. So while one year ago you would expect to pay 1000Rs for just a few GBs / month, now you can get 1GB / day for 300Rs / month. This finally makes India a realistic place to do remote work

Last winter I got great Jio 4G coverage in Rishikesh and Goa (Mandrem).

My advice would be get a Jio SIM and only consider getting something else (additional SIM) as and when you need it or if you are about to spend time somewhere particularly remote (in which case get a BSNL SIM). Check that coverage map anyway for your locations.

Regarding iPhone vs. Android - both are capable of being used as a hotspot, although older iPhones have more problems regarding this (in my experience). Just make sure you have a 4G-enabled phone (which almost all sold these days are anyway). However, you also need to check your phone’s 4G bands are compatible with India’s.

Finally, if you get a SIM card legitimately (with your own ID) then it will probably be automatically cut off after 3 months (or when your visa expires, whichever is earlier). A SIM dealer might offer a quicker option to use a local’s ID for a small charge. That one won’t expire (other than if there is an extended period of non-use), and so is generally preferable.

Good luck!

I’ve been here since '11. The most reliable internet is going to be a fixed line DSL / fiber, but this is likely not an option for you if you’re traveling; no one really wants to do one month installations. This leaves mobile:

Vodafone 4G is great, works most places, but will drop you back to 3G speeds outside major cities / metro areas. It’s uber-reliable in a city like Calcutta or Delhi, but terrible if you’re on the road. A lot of random towns and villages do get some 3G coverage these days, though. It’s enough for email / text work or code, but not enough to stream Netflix easily. Depends on what you need.

In cities, that 4G connection will stream / download movies easily.

BSNL requires far too much paperwork and pain; I’d avoid them if at all possible. Related note: you really, really need to go to one of the large, branded Vodafone stores if you’re a foreigner, and not one of the random little shops. The little ones don’t really know how to use foreign IDs for verification, so your connection will be deactivated (could take a week, could take a month) randomly. The paperwork thing is a big enough pain that now that I have Indian IDs, I just get SIM cards registered to my ID for friends traveling here.

The dongles get better reception than your phone-as-a-hotspot, but then you’re paying for two SIMs and two plans. Not a big deal, since plans are very cheap here compared with the US. Most dongles also come with a plug adapter, so you can use them as a hotspot by just plugging them into the wall instead of directly in your laptop. The Vodafone 4G hotspot device (not the dongle) also has an internal battery, so you can run much longer if you’re working remotely without power for a while.

The only other company I’d look at if Vodafone doesn’t work out well for you is Airtel. The other players in the market have been extremely unreliable for me at best.

If you are using iPhone (4G) then you can definitely use as HOT Spot just carry a spare battery pack.
You can also go for this:
https://www.vodafone.in/discover/mobile-internet/4gmi-fi?section=consumer

I do not prefer dongle as that required computer to be power on. With HOTSPOT device you can keep it on in your hang bag and use the wifi, on go for phone.

In India, if you want connectivity in remote corner including high in the mountain then one should go with State Telecom Provider BSNL. However, the places you are going to visit are widely covered by all Telecom Operator. I would recommend Vodafone.

If you have a 4G handset then you should get a Vodafone Pre-Paid Sim card. For working remotely right now you have 1GB / data plan at 4G speed. 4G network is available in Kerala, Goa, Varanasi and for rest two you have to do with 3G network. If you decide to go for Vodafone then go for FR 445 Plan (INR 445 / 28 days, around $8/28 days).This will give you 1GB data per day for 4G as well as 3G network.

Rishikesh has everything you are looking for and, as @whirledover mentioned, has many many cafes suitable for extended laptop work. I’ve been to almost all of the places mentioned in this thread, and Rishikesh fits your criteria significantly better than those others. Get a Jio SIM card for very good & cheap 4G. However, for perfect weather/temperature, Rishikesh is best in March and October/November. Outside of those months may be too hot/cold for your preferences.

I second (or fourth) Rishikesh - it’s a super relaxing place to look around, get some work done, and explore. It’s got lots of cafes, yoga classes galore, beautiful nature - it’s easy enough to rent a moped and explore the surroundings or go hiking. A few cafes have a strong enough connection to do website stuff (like the German bakery).
Also want to suggest Bundi - a tiny, charming town in Rajasthan that may get a little boring if you stay for a month but is a good place to get some work done.
*Wifi was really hit or miss everywhere so I’d suggest hotel shopping for a few days whenever you land in a new location to make sure they have strong enough wifi in the hotel/in cafes around the hotel for you to work before committing to a place longer term. Have fun in India!

I lived 8 months in Gangtok in ~2010. It has all that you’re looking for, but it can get very cold and snow in the winter. They had 3G internet even back then, no power outages (at least not in Gangtok town), the tap water was potable and the town was clean. It doesn’t feel like most of the rest of India. There is also a Buddhist monastery in Rumtek (about an hour’s drive). The entire town has views of the Kanchenjunga mountain and the excursions to Nathu La (border with China) and Pelling have breathtaking natural scenery.

I’m American, but the family’s from Calcutta, and I’ve traveled and worked all over India. Welcome! It can definitely be done, but it poses its own set of challenges.

Notes:

Darjeeling was a little touristy for my taste; I’d recommend heading further north into Sikkim, Nepal, or (if you can afford the insane visa fees) Bhutan. NE India is wild and beautiful, but expect it to be a very difficult place to work online Darjeeling was difficult enough last year; wifi’s almost always down, and 3G’s rarely running fast enough for me to push files to a server. It wasn’t a dealbreaker for me because I mostly work with a VPS for a dev server, so I can handle ultra low-bandwidth situations without too much pain, but if you were planning to do a lot of scheduled Skype calls, anywhere in the mountains will be a challenge.

Dharamsala and Manali had much more reliable internet connectivity, and were both beautiful. Dharamsala is the seat of the Tibetan government in exile, and though the Dalai Llama doesn’t do personal appointments for an audience any more, his influence is everywhere. There are English conversation workshops where you exchange stories with refugees, documentary screenings, cooking classes, yoga, meditation; it’s a nice little tourist town, and a good base for trips into the mountains.

If you’re not too allergic to cities, I love Calcutta. Just built an apartment here, so I’m planning to use it as a longer-term base for travels around S. and SE Asia. Calcutta’s a good location if you’re thinking about Darjeeling / Sikkim / Kalimpong in the mountains or the temples along the coast down to Puri or Vizag, and there are regularly cheapo flights to Bangkok or KL when you’re heading out. It’s a major city, so there’s everything from yoga to meditation to Crossfit and MMA classes here.

Contrary to popular advice: I’d avoid Varanasi. Everyone does it, everyone thinks it’s going to be very spiritual and cool, everyone gets ripped off buying hash in those tiny lanes, everyone does the boat ride and sees the burning ghats, everyone dies in the insane heat. Everyone in that city seemed to be razor focused on squeezing as much money as possible from any traveler (Indian or not) they managed to catch there.

If you have Indian friends, get them to get the SIM cards for you. It’s a serious pain otherwise, and 20 minutes will turn into 20 days. You’ll likely want one for your phone, and one for a 4G hotspot. Most major providers have them, and they’re cheap. GIO, Vodafone, and Airtel are the main companies you’ll see for 4G, though there are a ton of other players in the market.

Welcome! Eat a ton of biryani.

Dave.

If you like nature, head for the Himalayas, either in Northwestern India with hill stations like Dharamsala or Manali and also Rishikesh or Northeastern India with Darjeeling. All of these places also have a spiritual side, Rishikesh and Dharamsala much more so than the other 2.

It is hard to beat Srinagar nature wise, but both getting there and getting internet are major problems. Can’t even have 3G via SIM card cause Kashmir is blocked. Maybe in a couple of years the new railway will change things. Similar for Leh and the whole of Ladakh.

Mysore was already mentioned and it’s so much more than just a day or weekend trip from Bangalore. In fact it is a good base for daytrips, e.g. to Bylakuppe, Shravanabelagola, Belur/Halebid or a weekend in the Western Ghats. See this page for more inspiration under Mysore. Mysore itself is also a really nice, walkable and livable Indian city and that’s a rare thing indeed.

Hampi is great but internet is a problem. It’s a spiritual center as well.

For beach cities that have more to offer than just sand and water try Puri and Mamallapuram. Puri is a big spiritual center.

Bodhgaya is the center of the Earth as far as all 3 major schools of Buddhism are concerned.

All these places might get boring after 2 weeks so I would recommend halving your time spent in each place.

Thank you everyone for your recommendations!
@karan25991 - I will send you an email!

Hi! have you considered Bangalore. I am from Spain, but I did visit Bangalore many years back and I loved the city. Infact, hoping to go again soon.

Hi @nahemnahem,
I am a localite and have been working out of India for some time now. Given how vast India is and the huge opportunities that are there for exploring, I try to work out of different places a few times a year. Here are few of the places I would suggest you to go and well as general info.

3 months seems to be a pretty decent amount of time to explore different parts of India. The big concern here would be Internet and the place to live. Usually the internet at hotels or airbnb’s would be a 2 to 4 Mbps line and you would need a 3G/4G connection around to make sure that you are always connected. Expect 4-8Mbps on a 3G/4G line. I always check http://opensignal.com/ before going to a place to make sure that the place has atleast a decent mobile internet coverage before going there. 4-8Mbps works out pretty good for me for working as well as skype. The latency is b/w 50-150ms which is pretty much the best you’ll be able to find. There would be cafe’s with good internet however coworking/remote working is still pretty new in India and it might be hard to find a decent cafe to work out from in most towns.

Coming to weather

There is a huge change is weather when you go from one place to another. You can pretty much go from cyclonic winds and rains in the south to hot and humid along the coast and snows in the north. I think the weather would be a big factor when you choose the place you choose to work out from. Oct to March is usually the best time to visit India, because the summers are brutal and then the monsoons lash the entire country for a few months.

Coming to places to work from

I would suggest 2-4 weeks at a place so that you can explore the place a bit and them move to the next place. There are a lot of different cities/places to explore so you’ll never run out of options if you get bored of a particular place.

Here are the different ones that I know about and the things you can do there:

Pondicherry

This was a french colony long back but has still kept its charm. Probably one of the most chilled out cities in India. It is also home to Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville which are great places to meditate and spend some time. There are also some historical temples and mangrove forests which make up for an interesting day trip. I went there a few weeks back and the internet and the accommodation is pretty decent there too. There is a coworking space which is coming up there which might work out if you want better internet and it was pretty cheap too. Best time to visit: Oct-March (try to avoid the monsoons)

###Pune
This is a pretty historic city, which is also a university town and has great weekend getaways to forts, treks, pristine beaches and adventure activities. It is also home to OSHO ashram and ISKCON temple both of which are great places to meditate and also offer courses in meditation that you can attend. The city is also a great mix of history and cosmopolitan culture. This is a pretty big city so has the obvious benefits of having great places to live and better internet. Best time to go: All year around especially in the monsoons

###Kerala (Kochi, Allepy, Kumarakom)
Kerala is also called God’s own country and rightly so. It is one of the best places to wind down and relax. It is also the ayurvedic capital of India where you can find places to meditate too. Probably one of the best places to visit in India with great backwaters and beaches. Best time to go: Oct - March (Except Dec since it’s monsoon)

###Rishikesh
Also called the yoga capital of the world and is the gateways to the himalayas. There are a lot of ashrams where you can do yoga and there is the International Yoga Festival which happens in march. There are also a lot of smaller places around that you can visit and there are adventure activities too like rafting, bungee jumping, ziplining etc. Best time to go: Year around except June - Sept (Monsoon)

###Dharamshala
Dharamshala is a spiritual dwelling in the north deep in the mountains which hosts a large tibetan community of Buddhists and the residence of the Dalai Lama. You can spend some time here in the buddhist monasteries. There are also places where you can meditate and do yoga. There are a lot of adventure activities like paragliding available here. Best time to go: Year around except June - Sept (Monsoon)

###Other places to consider (don’t have great meditation places though)
Goa - Great beaches
Gujarat - Rann of Kutch, Daman and Diu
Rajasthan- Jaipur, Jodhpur (Great historical places)
Agra- Taj Mahal, Agra Fort
Vrindavan - Holi in March etc
Hill station in South India: Munnar, Ooty, Kodaikanal etc

Also wanted to add a shameless marketing plug here. I have felt that India offers a lot of great experiences and is probably one of the best places in the World that you can explore. We are making a gateway for nomads/freelancers to explore india and experience inner self. However is it very overwhelming and very hard to break into India. We help you manage your place and work, so that you can see what a wonderful place india is without sweating out of the complexities.

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Cheers