After spending seven weeks backpacking around India with my kids (teenagers age 16 and 13) I thought we should do a podcast on the country (and put to bed the silly myths that surround visiting India).

When I told people that we were planning a trip to India the response was...let's say colourful.

Some (mostly those who were born before the 1960s and had spent their youth discovering Asia on a couple of quid) encouraged us: 'you'll love it' they said and went on to talk about the beautiful Indian beaches or the temples in Hampi.

But others weren't so encouraging.

They warned us about getting sick and losing ten stone, said that we might get eaten by giant rats and be left for dead— or worse, pushed out into the river Ganges on a raft made from a billion plastic bottles.